Do you tweet? I’ve been tweeting for about six months. I have two accounts, one for me as author (@janevblanchard) and one for the book (@womenoftheway). For the most part, the author account tweets are about writing and publishing whereas the book tweets are about the Camino and the book itself, although there is an occasional overlap. As a result of tweeting, I am making contact with authors and readers that I would otherwise not have known. I am also finding fantastic websites and a slew of authors that I would like to read.
I have become discriminatory about whom I follow. When I started Twitter, I followed everyone, but quickly realized the importance of following only those whose had something interesting to say. After making this conclusion, I changed the content of my tweets, hoping to make them more interesting. As a result, I started to get retweeted and gained more followers.
I was excited to learn about Twitter Lists and started to categorize my new followers in lists, hoping to be able to tweet just to them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way; you can’t send a tweet only to members of a list; a tweet goes out to everyone that follows you. Additionally, mailing to the list quickly uses up the 140 character limitation. In my case, @janevblanchard/authors uses 23 characters—without any benefits. I am disappointed that Twitter list cannot be used more advantageously; luckily I created two Twitter accounts.
So what are Twitter lists used for? They organize the tweets from people on the list into a stream which makes their tweets less likely to get lost in the plethora of messages sent each day. List also allow others to subscribe to your public lists, thereby letting them follow the tweets from the group without actually following each member on the list. For example, you could subscribe to my list of authors at https://twitter.com/JaneVBlanchard/authors to see what authors are saying.
Hashtags on twitter are also helpful in locating recent tweets on a topic. Try searching on #author (see photo). I use this technique to find people to follow. You can also use the hashtag within a tweet to help others find your message. I use #indie #author and #Camino to draw attention to tweets that might interest indie authors and persons interested in the Camino. You can also use the hashtag to crease the social buzz around an upcoming event. For example, Interested in #Camino? Check out #myevent
I use Twellow to find like-minded people on Twitter. I think of it as the yellow pages for Twitter. I use HootSuite to tweet, schedule tweets, and organize my streams.
Nine Helpful tweeting tips for authors
- Tweet quotes from your book modifying them to fit the 140 character limitation
- Tweet comments from readers
- Tweet links to reviews, interviews, and event announcements
- Tweet links to your blog
- Make your content meaninful
- Follow only those that interest you
- Use hashtags (sparingly) to call attention to your topic or event
- Use Twellow to help find like-minded people to follow
- Tweet each day, use HootSuite or other tools to schedule the tweets. Remember, the timing is as important as the frequency.
References
- If you are new to Twitter, read Jeff Goins, 20 Essential Tips for Better Twitter Etiquette
- To learn more about how to use lists, read Make the Most of Twitter Lists: Essential Tips and Tricks.
How do you use Twitter to promote your book/blog? What Twitter tools do you like best? Please tell us.
