7 Best ways to use Social Media for Writers (2018)
How you can use Social Media sites to get your writing read by a larger number of people.
How to use these social media sites if you are a writer:
Facebook for Writers
The number one social media platform as of March 2018. A lot of Urdu speaking readers and writers operate on this platform. A lot of writers use their own social media profiles to post their writings, may those be poetry, travel pieces or short stories.
But I do recommend using a Facebook page for your writings. I am not saying that “get Facebook likes” for the vanity of it, no. I want you to have a lot of Facebook likes for your writing/author page so you can later reach those people with Facebook ads cheaply.
Also, do consider using Facebook groups, especially if you are building up towards a book release. That’s a great way to keep people in the loop as you share related content in the Facebook group, and they are more likely to buy your book when it comes out.
You can even live broadcast your book releases to your Facebook page or just the group. Do check these three out.
Instagram for Writers
If you are good at photos, do use Instagram’s current popularity. Especially you can use Instagram to share your quotes and your poetry if that’s what you write. A lot of people are on Instagram and it’s a great medium to reach more people who’d want to consume your content.
YouTube for Writers
YouTube is scary for a lot of people. I can vouch for that. But you can do a lot of “related” activities on YouTube such as:
- Doing writer interviews with other writers
- Sharing updates about your writing process or goal
- Doing poetry readings
- Broadcasting events such as your book launch
- Question and Answer session with your readers
YouTube is not easy, but a lot of attention there as a lot of Urdu speaking people are using YouTube.
Twitter for Writers
Twitter is not as famous as it was… but it is still a very happening place. This medium is great for comedians and poets especially, but any writer can share their thoughts, which is what writers do in their writings anyway. Twitter can give you yet another source of potential readers.
You can use the Twitter and Instagram hashtags to really deep dive into the two ecosystems. Note that understanding how hashtags work will give you an edge on both Twitter and Instagram.
LinkedIn for Writers
LinkedIn is usually not taken seriously by the creative. That’s a mistake. You can get a lot of writing gig by developing relationships with people related to your field. Especially if you are writing non fiction, LinkedIn can be a great place to connect and find an audience and find work.
Anchor for Writers
I haven’t used Anchor yet (I am on SoundCloud though). Anchor simply makes podcasting very easy for you. It is highly regarded right now: it’s new and really does make it easy for you to start your podcast. Anchor gives you podcast hosting as well. Definitely worth checking out.
Note that having a podcast means you reach more people. A lot of people listen to podcasts while driving or while at the gym… one can’t do that with video, but with “voice”, you can reach this specific audience as well.
You can do reading of your own work, or do a question answer session on your podcast as well.
Medium for Writers
Medium didn’t get as much traction as was once supposed. But still it is a great place to write long-form articles. Medium is focused on writers and Urdu writers specially are not that common — so if you take your Urdu writings to Medium, you can have more traction there.
Final Piece
And the final piece of the puzzle is having your own “home on the Net”.
This piece of content is about you using social media to further distribute your writings. But please know that we must treat social media correctly. A small tweak will help you build your brand in more reliable and robust manner.
We make a mistake when we treat our social media as our home. No. Social media are like embassies to your country, which is your own website/blog.
I have been blessed to serve a multi-national community in 40+ countries via my blog, JustAddVenture by Momekh. My blog becomes like my online CV if I ever need one… and every person who is interested in advancing their professions, need a pro blog. Writers especially.
Any questions related to this, you can contact me directly. Or you can WhatsApp at +92-3113-MOMEKH (do refer this article when you get in touch)
Videos mentioned in the video:
- How to set up a YouTube studio on a tight budget?
- Big mistake people make using social media (and a quick fix)
Links related to the video:
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- Start an Online Business – Foolproof Strategy
- Get Your Online Brand/Pro Blog
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