Social Media: Take Charge and Kiss the Guilt Goodbye

There’s no doubt that authors today need to be active in social networking. To what degree is somewhat debatable, but it’s generally thought that a blog, Twitter, and Facebook are great places to start.

While there are dozens of social media avenues, those are the three I’ve chosen for now. (Eventually, I might see the point of Pinterest, but at present, I just don’t have the time to juggle yet another…ummm…dare I say it? Time-sucker.)

I think we need to choose whatever networking avenue we’re comfortable and confident with and go from there.

And for me, it’s not all about the numbers game. Certainly, our number of “followers” are an indicator of our influence, but sometimes, numbers “fib.” (Sounds more tolerable than “lie.”) In other words, folks who auto-follow just to gain new followers (numbers) and then fail to interact aren’t really connecting. They’re boosting their numbers.

Icky.

My position on my social networking choices has remained fairly consistent. As I’ve grown in this stage of my writing career, I’ve become more intentional, as well. If something doesn’t “feel right,” I don’t say it, do it, or practice it.

I’ve learned to listen to God’s prompting. I’ve learned to take charge and kiss the guilt goodbye.

Here’s the methodology I practice:

Facebook: I have both a personal profile and an author page. I love connecting with like-minded people and I enjoy getting to know–really know–folks. That being said, because I’ve had a brush with some oddness, I’m much more conscientious (intentional) regarding my personal page now and who I accept friend requests from.

All of my blog posts are fed into my author page MWF and I regularly check in there. That’s the page I’d invite you to “like” if you’re interested in the Christian fiction genre and in my writing journey. I’ll respond to your questions and visit with you there. In fact, I’ll look forward to it!

Twitter: I find Twitter a lot more enjoyable than FB at times. It’s a quicker mode of communication, and once you compose your “follower”  lists with TweetDeck or HootSuite, staying in the know is a snap. I can visualize and respond to many mini-conversations at once in a fraction of the time it takes with Facebook. Jill Kemerer was a Godsend in helping me with this. *Waving at you, Jill!*

Some personal rules I apply on Twitter: I don’t auto-follow anyone and I won’t follow-back “eggs,” spam, porn, profanity, or rants. Unfortunately, there are some weirdos who have too much time on their hands and want to suck mine, as well. I block those folks and I don’t feel guilty in the least. I will also un-follow those Twitterers who have never-ending tweets. Dozens of “all about me,” “buy my product,” etc., tweets just wear me out. Connecting isn’t about narcissism. Connecting is about two-way communication.

Blog: I began blogging over a year ago and I enjoy it. I initially created my blog with WordPress. It took some time to navigate WP, but there are lots of helpful tutorials and if I can learn how to set up a blog, anyone can. I transitioned to a fully functioning website last December because I needed something that would better accommodate my needs.

Anyone who writes with publication as a future goal should have a blog presence and a regular posting schedule. I usually blog about life events, nostalgia, writing, and faith. I try to be uplifting and encouraging because there’s so much discouraging news elsewhere. You can subscribe to my blog posts by going over to the sidebar and clicking the “subscribe” button. I promise not to sell your name or hold you for ransom.

I try to promptly respond to comments, though there have been occasions where a few get caught in the ol’ spam folder and rightfully so.

Be sure and check out Jennifer K. Hale’s great post this week regarding the safety factor within social media. She shared some great tips and truths.

I absolutely love connecting with people. It’s fun sharing with folks who have similar interests, and it’s thrilling to make new friends during this writing journey.

A final thought: I’m currently reading Michael Hyatt’s latest book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. I ordered my copy online for around $14.00. This is a book for anyone with a message to share, particularly authors. In Platform, Mr. Hyatt, one of the world’s most influential leaders, relates time-proven principles from his own life–things that have worked and things that haven’t. The book can be read straight through, but each chapter is conveniently stand-alone, too. Mike Hyatt shares his vast knowledge on all things social media, and he provides a treasure trove of wisdom for those wishing to break free of mediocrity. Platform is a book I highly recommend!

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How are you taking charge?

Have you learned to kiss the guilt goodbye?

Photo Credit: Kromkrathog/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blessings Always,