One aspect that has become clear is the importance of your social media following when writing a book – not just for self publishing but also for traditional publishing as publishing houses will wish to see a following. Here’s some suggestions for how you can use social media to build that following:

Blogging

Writing a blog has so many advantages for writers, not only does it get the fingers tapping and provide writing practice, you also receive feedback on your writing and learn what works and what doesn’t.  Feedback comes in the form of  website visits, bounce rate, comments and shares. My own book was inspired by the number of comments and shares enjoyed by a single blog post.  Some authors use their blog for drafting out a book and use a tool such as Scrivener to combine all of the relevant blog posts into a book.

The blog can also be used to build awareness of your book. Reading Pat Fitzpatrick’s post the other day, he pointed out that his recent absence on his blog may have contributed to a recent decline in sales. I recently read that having a good blogging presence can be as effective as appearing on a TV show, I’m not sure of the truth of that but it certainly sounds impressive.

Blogging gives you a means to build relationships with other bloggers, some of whom may review your book on their blog too.

Twitter

You can share your writing journey on twitter, share how your writing is progressing, raise awareness of your upcoming book – all by using the popular hashtag #amwriting.  It also helps when you connect with other writers as you can support each other in your writing journeys.

Once you have self published your book, you can use a personal hashtag to promote it or just to build awareness. By using the Twitter search facility, you can connect with potential readers too.

Facebook Page

Those who like your facebook page can be rewarded by feeling part of the journey if you share your writing process, your self publishing news and your successes. Sharing your reviews or even photos of your book in bookshops means that people share your excitement. However, don’t make your page all about you. Share information that is of interest to your audience, be it news within your topic area, articles and images that are entertaining, and encourage their interaction. Building a following on Facebook is a great way to create a loyal readership for future books too.

Pinterest

Pinterest can also be used in a variety of ways. Create a secret board for your novel’s inspiration using images of people to help you picture your characters, pins of spooky barns or windy days or beautiful beaches to help you plan your settings and  describe atmosphere, and drafts of your front cover. You can then make the secret board public once the book is published so that others can share in this insight.

Boards for book reviews and book related products such as quotes and bookcases are very popular.  Pinning your book reviews (for example, on other blogs) to your own ‘Book Review’ board for others to repin and read. You could also create a shared board for book reviews or other related topics and invite other readers to contribute.

Don’t forget about Linked In either – tell all your contacts that you are now an author! Social media also helps with getting publicity, journalists may have come across you or you can contact them directly.

A good book can enjoy huge successes even if self-published and as this post shows, some authors are turning down book deals in order to continue with self publishing. However, most books require the help of social media to build awareness and grow sales. It is never too late to start either so do get in contact if you would like some social media training.

The post Why Self Publishing Authors Should Use Social Media appeared first on Write On Track.

Social media isn’t just about improving the SEO of your website, engaging with potential customers, driving traffic, increasing brand awareness and increasing sales. Social media also offers you the potential of getting free press coverage for your business as journalists will use social media to find stories – they don’t necessarily rely just on press releases for their features.

I knew that my blog was going to work well for getting press coverage once it secured my first feature for me – within two months of starting my blog, a journalist had found me via my blog and I was featured in a national newspaper. Admittedly there are more blogs out there now so it can be harder to stand out but on the plus side, most journalists are actively using social media now.

Journalists use the search engines if looking for a particular source to complete a story – if your blog is well optimised and it is suitable, they can then check out your blog / Linked in profile / twitter account /  facebook page to determine if you are the right person / product for their feature

To maximise your chances:

1. Ensure your contact details are easily accessible on your blog / website / facebook page / twitter bio.

2. Use good images. Journalists often require photographs and if they can see that you have good images (either your own or from a supplier), they are more inclined to contact you.

3. Be newsworthy – comment on the latest fashions, be one of the first to report from the design or trade shows or in your particular area. Demonstrate your knowledge so you are viewed as a good source of information.

4. Have a high-res good photograph available of yourself should the journalist require it.

5. Create a story – see what is ‘trending’ or a popular line in the media, can your story fit into it. For example, self published authors getting good publishing deals (particularly if they were stay at home mums when writing the book) are popular stories at the moment – if that fits you, make the most of it.

We will shortly be launching a new course at We Teach Social entitled – How To Get Free Press Coverage Via Your Social Media. Do sign up for the newsletter to get updates.

The post How Journalists Might Find You and Your Business appeared first on Write On Track.

It was somewhat of a baptism of fire for me as I had very little knowledge of editing and even less of new technologies, being somewhat of a luddite at the time. Well, I still am, to an extent!  Of course, I tended up teaching New Technologies focusing on their effects on us as societies, whether TiVo was going to take off, how the global village was forming, the Playstation had just been launched and as has been the case since, the study of new technologies was really interesting.  Of course, this was before the days of blogging and twitter and I never imagined I would end up embracing them with so much enthusiasm.

I first started using social media myself in January 2008. I had started a new business and having heard that blogging was a good way to get traffic to my new website, I decided to get my web developers to add a blog.  I loved writing and connecting with other interior design bloggers. I didn’t know anything about hyperlinks or calls to action and it was a case of learning as I went along but when my business was featured on a national newspaper because a journalist contacted me having found my blog, I was sold! Social media was going to save me wondering where to find the money for an advertising budget! Twitter followed in March 2009 and I set up a facebook page during the summer.

What about you? When did you embrace digital technology and social media?

The post My Introduction to DIGITAL Media appeared first on Write On Track.

Build on your stories for success today.

Money is less important than you think.

Change your story in order to be a contributor – make a difference.

Your story is vital to your brand.

The above are four statements, four quotes, that I tweeted from Bill Liao’s speech.  As he said, the traditional means of selling such as advertising and cold calling are becoming less successful and hence, less popular.  The way people engage with those they purchase from is also changing. Perhaps, in the same way that our forefathers purchased from those they knew in the nearest town or village, we are now purchasing from those we know and engage with in our ‘global village’.

Therefore, in order to maximise business success, or the success of any project, it is a good idea to share your story, the story of your business, with your potential customers.  Think about your recent purchases – what proportion of them were from businesses you ‘know’ because they are in your local town or that you know of them because of their Pinterest presence or you read their blog?  I shop local as much as possible or buy from those I know online.

Social media is the perfect vehicle for your business to engage with those who may purchase from you.

How To Tell Your Business Story Via Your Blog

People buy from people – if they can be assured of the quality of your product, your level of expertise, your high standards of customer service.  Answer the following questions in your blog post or on your ‘about us’ page – Why does your business exist, why are you so passionate about it, why do people buy from you, what benefits do you provide people with, what questions do you answer?

Your business blog is the perfect place to demonstrate your company’s personality, what makes it tick, share its successes, and as people appreciate transparency, share occasional struggles too especially if you can show how you overcame them.

If your business involves selling antique furniture and it has been in the family for generations, share that story with your readers. Include a photo of your great grandfather who started the business, his son and his son. Share how the business has evolved over the years, how the emphasis on quality and customer service ensured the business survived and flourished through good and bad times and how it will evolve in the future.  Show where some of your furniture is going, is it going into old traditional buildings or is it also be purchased by those in contemporary homes?  Demonstrate that quality antique pieces of furniture are an investment, they are extremely unlikely to depreciate in value and are a piece to be cherished by future generations. Blog posts could tell the stories of individual pieces of furniture – where they came from, how they were made, how they might have been used.

Many newspapers and magazines now feature business success stories, often with an emphasis currently on women starting a business from the kitchen table or men, having been made redundant, creating a successful  business from a hobby.  If your blog and website tell your story well, it is much more likely to be picked up by journalists and featured in relevant publications.

If your story is compelling, interesting or engaging, others will share it too. One wonderful example is that of Annie Sloan, a decorative painter, an author of various book on painting techniques and creator of  Annie Sloan chalk paints.  Sloan has become hugely popular in recent years and much of that success has been down to her followers, the interior design bloggers who found her products and wrote about them.  Each piece of furniture that was transformed by her paintwork became a story in itself for each blogger. On her own blog, she shares stories of paintwork and paint colours – all which work to make her paint more tangible  for her potential customers and yes, the next piece of furniture I paint – I’ll be using Annie Sloan!

Stories can also be revealed on your Pinterest account – anyone glancing at your boards should be able to tell what the business is, what your passions are and also what your non-business passions or hobbies might be. My own Pinterest account shows numerous social media boards (some of which are shared boards) and they also demonstrate my enjoyment of crochet, reading and interiors, not to mention beautiful scenery, architecture and farming.

Do share one of your business stories with us and how you communicate it via your use of social media.  If you are struggling to think of one, it often helps if you ask a loyal customer or one of your staff what comes to their mind when they consider the roots of your business.

The post Telling Your Business Story Via Your Social Media Reaps Rewards appeared first on Write On Track.

The post The Top 9 Social Networks For Your Business (Infographic) appeared first on Write On Track.

Check out this Pinterest infographic which shares the data from a BlogHer survey which found that women trust Pinterest more than any other site. If you are interested in learning more about marketing with Pinterest, take our Facebook poll to help us determine how best we can help you.

Read More On  Pinterest For Business 

The post Why your business should be on Pinterest (Infographic) appeared first on Write On Track.

Key Take-Away!

If you’re not blogging, you’re missing out on some important business benefits! In addition trying to build your own brand on someone else’s territory is always risky.

The post 10 Ways Blogging is Better for Business than Facebook appeared first on Write On Track.

Do not be afraid of negative reviews, negative tweets or negative updates to your Facebook page – you can turn a negative into a positive by addressing the problem and you can also help to spread the word when you get positive feedback.

I’m going to look at various social media platforms in turn over a series of four blog posts: Facebook, Blog, Twitter and Linked In/Reviews

Part One – Facebook

A customer or a potential customer can really get a sense of your company’s respect for their customers from your Facebook page.  I’m sure many companies do not intend for their brand to be represented poorly on their facebook page and it may not reflect a poor level of customer service at all (indeed, their customer service may be excellent in many ways) but if they are not using social media effectively and properly, it can reflect poorly on them.

Always, always acknowledge when someone posts an update on your page.  If it is a general comment, then click ‘like’ or respond in a friendly and polite tone.  If they are complimenting your service or your products, always thank them and say you are glad they enjoyed it.  If it is a complaint, (have a strategy planned in advance) always respond in a constructive way, in a way that will calm them down, assuring them that you will prevent it happening again or that you will correct the error or you will look into it and Do It!

I have looked at some pages belonging to big brands, companies that are spending thousands on television, radio and print advertising and they are not responding to their customers on their facebook pages – whether the updates are negative or positive.

The Mr. Tayto theme park facebook page has almost 200,000 fans and facebook is a wonderful way for this company to get visitors back again and let them know about upcoming promotions and events.  However, many people have left complaints about waiting times at one of the rides, others have posted questions, more people have complimented them on providing them with a great day out and very few have been acknowledged, let alone responded to.

We actually had a wonderful day at the Tayto Park during the summer and the staff were so friendly and helpful that I really think this is a genuine shame that it is reflecting badly on their brand. What do you think? Do you think a big brand that is still growing their business should be interacting more with their fans?

I  love the Nicholas Mosse facebook page – here the administrator is really engaging with ‘likers’, responding to their comments and updates. Always cheerful, not pretending to be Nicholas himself, always helpful and it is creating such a welcoming atmosphere on the page.

When I look at the Nicholas Mosse page, the image that comes to my mind is of the Seven Dwarves singing as they work or Santa’s workshop – as the potters pot and paint in their workshop!  It certainly gives the impression that should I purchase something that arrives damaged or flawed that they would replace it and certainly look after my concerns.

With comments and updates appearing now in the Ticker feed, evidence of good or bad customer service is going to be even more apparent to Facebook users which is certainly something to bear in mind.

If you want to know more about representing your brand through facebook, do check out the spiderworking blog too.

Don’t be afraid of social media – embrace it and it will increase the brand awareness of your company in a positive light.

The post Improving your Customer Service by using Social Media: Part One (Facebook) appeared first on Write On Track.

If the idea of cold-calling leaves you, well, cold, then why not use your LinkedIN contacts to warm things up a bit? In today’s post, we show you step-by-step exactly how.

Step One – Search

Go to the search bar on the top right hand corner of your LinkedIN profile and enter a search term for the area you are interested in. I’ve chosen to search for “social media”.

Step 2 Refine Search

Now I refine my search – in this case, to Ireland.

Scrolling down through this list, some of these people I am already connected to (1st connections) but I want to refine my search further to 2nd connections.

I can continue to further refine my selection, by choosing to narrow my search to location or industry until I find exactly which area or people I am looking to connect with. When I am happy with my selection, I can see who our shared connections are and I can then ask one of them if they’d be willing to make an introduction.

Step 3 – Get Introduced

In this case I have chosen to get introduced to Fiona Ashe and I have 11 of my 1st connections who can do that for me. Now it’s just a matter of choosing which of these 11 I think would be the best person to effect that introduction.

Now some of you might think why not just click the “add to network button”? And yes, you can try this,  but that is the more scatter gun approach to making connections. Think about how much more effective your approach will be with a personal introduction and how it can help you identify warm leads for your prospecting. It allows you to “sound” out your first connections on the best approach to make to your prospect and to gather some first hand knowledge of whether they are in the market for just what you are offering.

Now for an example of how this would work for our own business, Write on Track, which provides a ghost blogging service to SMEs and those who wish to get started with blogging. Say we come across a new start-up with their shiny new website but no blog. We know a blog would greatly enhance their ability to promote their new product or service, drive sales to their online store, and help raise their profile.  We would like to approach them and offer our services, and by using the method we’ve outlined above, we can ask one of our previous clients on LinkedIN, to make that introduction and recommend our services.

We all prefer to do business with someone who comes personally recommended. So, why not try this method for yourself and see if this is one way you can warm up those cold calls when approaching your prospects and do let us know how you get on!

The post How to warm cold calls with LinkedIN appeared first on Write On Track.