 Twitter is often referred to as a social messaging and microblogging service or an information network. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that Facebook and Google+ have, but it allows for much more communication between people and brands.
If you create a fan page on Facebook you can’t talk to people directly unless they comment on your posts or send you a message. Twitter is much more open. As your brand you can follow and talk to anyone you like. This ability allows some people to misuse it and spam everyone, but if used right you can make great connections faster than on Facebook.
Let’s look at a few of the things you can use Twitter for:
Keep up on the latest news. Follow the news sources that will help you the most. If you’re an author you can follow Poet’s & Writers @poetswritersinc, AWP @awpwriter, Writer’s Digest @WritersDigest, Writer’s Relief @WritersRelief, etc. for the latest in the biz and for helpful advice. Churches and ministers, you can follow fellow ministers and churches and keep up on the news of the charities you support as well as the local news (knowing what’s going on in your town can help you stay relevant to your congregation).
Network. Follow your favorite authors, helpful bloggers, and potential fans (be careful in following potential fans, you don’t want to come on too strong). Churches, the things mentioned above you may want to not only follow, but actually get to know or if you already know them you can use Twitter to stay in touch.
Share your blog posts. Let the world know you’ve got a blog and something to say.
Share your latest news. People follow you because they are interested in you and what you do. So let them know when you’re working on a new book or are having an event.
Research. Authors, you can research target markets or do some research for your next book. Ministers can use Twitter to discover the subject of their next sermon. Trending topics are like a gauge of what’s in the forefront of mainstream consciousness.
#Hashtags. The hash symbol, #, is used to tag information so it can be organized on Twitter. If you want to see what’s being said about writing on Twitter simply put “#writing” in the search bar and up comes tweets with “#writing” in them. This not only makes various subjects searchable it can also spread them. Just don’t overuse them.
There is so much more to Twitter. This post is in answer to those who tell me that the just don't get Twitter, that it's useless.For total coverage Mashable has one of the best guides to Twitter I’ve seen – Mashable’s Twitter Guide Book
Got Twitter or other social media questions just contact me at jelliott@socialspritemediaservices.com.
Please visit New World Creative Union where you can find many
of the social media tips I shared with this great group of creatives!
You can also hear me on NWCU's Blog Talk Radio show: The Nexus Cafe
every Thursday at 6 p.m. EDT where I share Social Sprite's Tip of the Week.
If you're a poet, writer, artist, artisan photographer, musician, etc. and
interested in being on The Nexus Cafe contact me and I'll tell you more
about how you can get on the air.
Visit me during the week on your favorite network:
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn for more helpful
social media and marketing tips!
Here’s my weekly schedule of the kinds of helpful posts I’ll be sharing:
Monday – General social media and marketing tips
Tuesday – Tips for spiritual organizations and churches
Wednesday – Tips for writers & Author of the Week
Thursday – Social Sprite's Tip of the Week on The Nexus Cafe
Friday – New blog post
 It’s pretty easy set up a Facebook page, but there are some points I see people miss so let me walk you through them.
This first point is mainly for authors. Before you even begin you need to know what name you’re going to use. I suggest using your name unless you have yourself branded under your blog name or a pen name. Now let’s walk through the steps.
Choose your category. Look through the category list that Facebook provides and pick one that suits you. If you’re a writer you can choose writer, but if you have authored a book it’s a good idea to choose author. Churches if you have an online only ministry choose “Companies & Organizations” and then you’ll find the subcategory of “Church/Religious Organization.” If you have a brick and mortar building choose “Local Businesses” and for the subcategory you’ll see “Church/Religious Organization.”
Username. Setup your username. This will make the URL for your page read facebook.com/yourname rather than facebook.com/yourname/429276868632. The shortened version is easy for people to remember when you use it on your other marketing materials.
About section. Fill this out. Put your tagline here. Leave room to put in your website or blog address. Authors, during the launch of your book you may want to mention your book and put a link to where people can buy it.
Fill out the whole profile. Don’t leave anything blank. Authors fill out the Biography section and the Description area. In the Description area you can put a list of all your books with your latest book at the top with its blurb.
Profile picture and cover photo. Authors, professional is best, but a nice headshot taken by a friend can work. For your cover photo choose an image that is indicative of your work. Be sure to follow Facebook’s guidelines for cover photos. Churches put your logo as the profile picture. For the cover photo you can rotate images of the outside of the church, the inside, minister on the platform, choir, etc.
Tabs. The tabs that are just under your cover photo can be customized with an app by Woobox. There are tabs for your photos, videos, events, but you can add more personalized ones. Some things you might want to make a tab for: email list sign-up, newsletter, website, blog, other social media profiles, your latest book, etc. Brainstorm, there are a lot of things you can do with these little tabs.
Add one more administrator. Add a trusted friend, family member, or in the case of a church, a board member as an administrator for your page just in case you lose the ability to access the page.
Discover how people connect to Facebook pages. Your fans can message your page. You’ll see new messages via the message icon or you can look on the right side of the admin panel for messages from your fans. People can also post to your page if you have that feature enabled. You’ll see these posts in a box to the right under the tabs.
Here are a few helpful links to make this even easier:
Social Media Sizing Guide from Church Juice This guide has the sizes you’ll need for the images you use on your profile photo, your cover photo, and the tabs.
Author Taglines: The Whens, Whys and Hows from Smart Author Sites This will help a tagline if you don’t already have one.
Ideas for Creating a Church Tagline from Brian McDaniel
Please visit New World Creative Union where you can find many
of the social media tips I shared with this great group of creatives!
You can also hear me on NWCU's Blog Talk Radio show: The Nexus Cafe
every Thursday at 6 p.m. EDT where I share Social Sprite's Tip of the Week.
If you're a poet, writer, artist, artisan photographer, musician, etc. and
interested in being on The Nexus Cafe contact me and I'll tell you more
about how you can get on the air.
Visit me during the week on your favorite network:
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn for more helpful
social media and marketing tips!
Here’s my weekly schedule of the kinds of helpful posts I’ll be sharing:
Monday – General social media and marketing tips
Tuesday – Tips for spiritual organizations and churches
Wednesday – Tips for writers & Author of the Week
Thursday – Social Sprite's Tip of the Week on The Nexus Cafe and this blog
 Your website is your home on the Internet; it’s your online business card. This means you need to have your complete information here and then some. When someone comes across your website they should be able to learn all about you, your work, your message and the other places you can be found around the Web.
Below are two lists. One is for authors and the other is for churches. Authors: Domain name: I talked about this last week. Home Page/Landing Page: This is the most important page. This is where you capture people’s interest. Your latest work should be here, the book cover, the blurb, tagline and the most adoring sentence from a few reviews. This is where you’re going to have your email list sign up and social media links. About page: Tell us about yourself. What makes you tic? What do you enjoy doing when not writing? Maybe you’re a writer who also enjoys photography. Share where people can find that work. Who inspires you? This is your bio and then some. Email signup: Email marketing is still a great way to connect and sell. You can use tools like Constant Contact or MailChimp. Calls to Action: Make your site interactive. You want people to buy your work so put in a “Buy” button. If you want them to follow you on Twitter or sign up on your email list ask them to do so. Contact Info: Make it easy for people to contact you. You neverknow if someone will want you to talk to their group, or has some other lucrative proposition for you. Samples of your work: People like to see what they’re buying. Share an excerpt from your book right on the site or offer a free chapter of your book via a PDF download. List of your books: You should display the book covers, the publisher info, book blurb, reviews and where to buy them. Current publisher: Share the love and appreciation for those who believed in you. If you’re self-published this could be an acknowledgement page, like the one you might have in your book. Representation: Have an agent or manager? Share the love some more and list them. Also let people know if you’d rather they went through your manager for gigs. Media Room: This is for the press. List press releases, a few different high resolution pictures of yourself and make sure to credit them, PR contact if you have one, manager if that’s who you work through, clips and a bio you’d like the press to use. News: This is for your fans. You can share what you’ve been up to. Have a new book contract? Finished your latest novel? Read at the local collage? Spent a week on the lake writing? Tell your fans all about it and post photos. Events: A calendar with your appearances. It’s also nice to sharelinks to the venues with a little blurb about them. Social Media: Have a link to your Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn profile, etc. on every page. Also be sure to utilize those share buttons. Blog: If you use your blog to share about your life you may not need a “News” section on your website. But if your blog has a specific purpose, let’s say you use it to give advice on writing or publishing etc. then keep your life events in the “News” section. Links of Interest: This is another place to share the love. Share links to your favorite authors, artists, musicians, as well as links to helpful blogs and other information you think will be of interest to your fans. Make it easy for your visitors to find all the above information Churches: Domain name: I talked about this last week. Home Page/Landing Page: This is the most important page. This is where you capture people’s interest. There should be a short blurb that tells people what your all about, address or a clear link to a map and directions, testimonials, a message from the minister (a video message would be best), and pictures that portray your mission and message. About page: Tell us your history and what work your organization does in the world today. Email signup: Email marketing is still important. You can use tools like Constant Contact or MailChimp. Calls to Action: Make your site interactive. If you want them to follow you on Twitter or sign up on your email list ask them to do so. Contact Info: Make it easy for people to contact you. You never know when you may be able to truly be of service to someone. Sermon page: Share samples of the minister’s Sunday sermons. Reading List: Share what books best exemplify your message. Media Room: This is for the press. List press releases, a few different high resolution pictures of your minister and make sure to credit them, contact person, short version of mission and message. News: This is for your congregation. You can post your newsletter here or make weekly or monthly updates using words and pictures. Events: A calendar showing the service times and any upcomingevents as well as the study classes you provide. Social Media: Have a link to your Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn profile, etc. on every page. Also be sure to utilize those share buttons. Blog: The blog can be used as the “News” section or it can be a weekly message from the minister. Links of Interest: This is the place to share links to guest speakers and others who exemplify your philosophy. Make it easy for your visitors to find all the above information
Please visit New World Creative Union where you can find many
of the social media tips I shared with this great group of creatives!
You can also hear me on NWCU's Blog Talk Radio show: The Nexus Cafe
every Thursday at 6 p.m. EDT where I share Social Sprite's Tip of the Week.
If you're a poet, writer, artist, artisan photographer, musician, etc. and
interested in being on The Nexus Cafe contact me and I'll tell you more
about how you can get on the air.
Visit me during the week on your favorite network:
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn for more helpful
social media and marketing tips!
Here’s my weekly schedule of the kinds of helpful posts I’ll be sharing:
Monday – General social media and marketing tips
Tuesday – Tips for spiritual organizations and churches
Wednesday – Tips for writers
Thursday – Social Sprite's Tip of the Week on The Nexus Cafe and this blog
 Groups have been a part of the Internet experience since the beginning. They are a great way to meet people. I met my husband on an ICQ message board…remember ICQ? We connected via our love for poetry. Before social networking became what it is today, online groups and forums were the way to interact with others who shared your interests.
Nothing much has changed. Groups are still a great way to connect with those who share your interests. And many have found it’s also a great way for people to get to know you and your work…but is it? It can be if done right. Here’s a list of best practices that will help you build relationships and gain notice.
Don’t start with a sales pitch
Don’t make your first posting to a group a sales pitch for your book or website unless that is what the group expects. Some groups on Goodreads and LinkedIn even have a special place for promotions. Be sure to learn the rules before you do anything.
Introduce yourself
If you write poetry say so, if you wrote a book you can mention that…but just mention, no sales pitch. Now just hang out for a while and get a feel for what the group is about and what kinds of things people share and talk about.
Now that you have some idea of what the group is about and they’ve met you:
Interact
Read or take a look at other people’s work. If you like it say so, maybe even mention why you like it. Does it make you remember something or touch you in some way? Let the person know. It’s all about developing relationships.
Is the group right for you?
After a week or so of listening and interacting you should be able to tell if the group is one where you’d like to spend your time.
Sharing your work
The day you share be sure to check out other members’ work…it will bring your name to their attention and perhaps they’ll check out your work. Don’t be fake though. Only respond to the poems or art that you truly like. It’s all about being genuine so you can build relationships.
Collaboration
It’s from those relationships that you’ll be able to discover people you can collaborate with. Don’t rush this if you don’t see it already happening in the group. If you don’t see it then it might be best to put a call out for a collaborator and see if you get any bites.
Time Consideration
Time is an important thing to consider. How much do you have of it? Don’t belong to more groups than you can handle.
If it gets to the point that you just post and run, stop. Take stock of how much time you do have and spend it in one or two groups. The biggest benefit of this is that you just might develop some real friendships as well as fans.
Offline Groups
Don’t forget about the real world. You can use Meetup.com to find live and in person groups to join right in your own neighborhood. Who knows, you might have fans that live on your block.
This isn't a quick way to get known, but it’s not all about you either. You’re enriching your life and the lives of others. Fans are a side benefit. And if you've become a fan of someone be sure to share their work with your network.
Please visit New World Creative Union where you can find many
of the social media tips I shared with this great group of creatives!
You can also hear me on NWCU's BlogTalk Radio show: The Nexus Cafe
every Thursday at 6 p.m. EDT where I share Social Sprite's Tip of the Week.
If you're a poet, writer, artist, artisan photographer, musician, etc. and
interested in being on The Nexus Cafe contact me and I'll tell you more
about how you can get on the air.
Visit me during the week on your favorite network:
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn for more helpful
social media and marketing tips!
Here’s my weekly schedule of the kinds of helpful posts I’ll be sharing:
Monday – General social media and marketing tips
Tuesday – Tips for spiritual organizations and churches
Wednesday – Tips for writers
Thursday – Social Sprite's Tip of the Week on The Nexus Cafe and this blog
 Ever wonder why the sound of certain voices makes you take notice or soothes you? It’s not only the sound or the physical vibrations in air, it’s how the voices are used and the personality expressed. A voice adds immediacy and makes a poem or story come alive. The personality is especially important for ministers because who you are is what draws people to your church.
The power of the voice is why social networks like SoundCloud are an important part of the marketing mix. Writers, poets, ministers, you all have a voice and a message or story to share with the world. I encourage you to use your voice and be heard. If you don’t feel confident here’s a video interview with Lynn Singer that will help you learn how to find your voice.
This week’s tips are all about SoundCloud and podcasts. There is specific advice for writers as well as tips on how to best use this particular social media effectively to market yourself and your work. Let’s dive in and discover its secrets.
SoundCloud Tips: Marketing and Promotion II
By Symphonic Distribution
You've heard the name now discover how you can use this fast growing, music sharing site. With 18 million users and an estimate of 1.5 million new users every month it’s rapidly becoming the place to share your sounds and be heard.
SoundCloud Advice for Writers
By Jason Boog on GalleyCat
Share the richness of your text via the sound of your voice. Via this podcast interview you’ll find out how to best utilize this popular site as a writer.
Is Your Church Social? Part 20 – Podcasts – Kinds of Podcasts
By Kurt Steinbrueck on Church Marketing Online
Now that you know about SoundCloud this article gives you an idea of what kinds of shows you ministers can add to your Church's account.
Please visit New World Creative Union where you can find
a storehouse of social media tips I shared with this great
group of creatives! And if you're a poet, writer, artist, artisan
photographer, etc. please join us!Visit me during the week on your favorite network:
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn for more helpful
social media and marketing tips!
Here’s my weekly schedule of the kinds of helpful posts I’ll be sharing:
Monday – General social media and marketing tips
Tuesday – Tips for spiritual organizations and churches
Wednesday – Tips for writers
Thursday – Social Sprite's Top 3
 The white paper I've been working on is now available! Please sign up by using the form over there to the right. Be sure to click the box next to “Social Media Marketing for Authors" to get your free white paper and free monthly e-newsletter. If there is another topic that interests you click that too!Here are some of the topics the white paper covers:- Find out who will love your work
- Discover ways to monitor conversations about you online
- See how easy it is to create and curate great content
- Simple ways to measure your progress
- How to create a plan and put it into action
Here is a peek at it.
Social Media Marketing Goals
Now that you know your overall goals and all the ways you can use to accomplish them it’s time to take a look at your reasons for using social media as part of your overall marketing strategy.
Get specific. Ask yourself why you want to use social media. Some examples: increase awareness, gather a community around your type of writing/books, be seen as the expert in…, etc.
Also ask:
- Who? Will you hire someone or do it yourself?
- What? Do you want to create many small campaigns or one large one?
- Where? Will your platform include Facebook and Twitter? Only Facebook? Goodreads?
In order to accomplish your goals you need to make sure they are SMART. SMART stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Using the example of “increase awareness” here's what a SMART goal would look like:
Increase awareness of my latest novel by me posting five times per week on my Facebook page to gain 100 fans in the next 30 days.
Let’s break this down:
- Specific: Increase awareness of latest novel with 5 posts on Facebook.
- Measurable: Gain 100 fans.
- Attainable: This is something I can do.
- Relevant: Facebook has been useful in creating awareness for books.
- Timely: Time frame of 30 days to help measure success.
This is just the beginning of the process. Sign up for the rest of the paper using the form to the right and be sure to click on the box next to “Social Media Marketing for Authors."
I'm looking forward to sharing in your success in 2013!
Please visit New World Creative Union where you can find a storehouse of social media tips I shared with this great group of creatives! And if you're a poet, writer, artist, artisan
photographer, etc. please join us!Visit me during the week on your favorite network:
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn for more helpful
social media and marketing tips!
Here’s my weekly schedule of the kinds of helpful posts I’ll be sharing:
Monday – General social media and marketing tips
Tuesday – Tips for spiritual organizations and churches
Wednesday – Tips for writers
Thursday – Social Sprite's Top 3
 I’ve harvested four articles this week instead of three on:- Public domain resources
- Social media success stories from a music artist and authors (2 articles)
- What churches should post on Facebook based on an internal study by Facebook
It’s a review of posts I shared this past week. Since it’s a holiday week and many of you are busy I put all the posts here for perusal at your leisure. I believe these articles are particularly helpful so I didn’t want you to miss out.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!
How to Use Public Domain Content to Boost Your Blog By Christopher Jan Benitez on Social Media Today
Christopher put together a great resource here. Check it out!
How Social Media Made Indie Hip-Hop Artist Macklemore #1 on iTunes
By Zoe Wilson on the Confluence Digital Blog
Zoe breaks down an artist’s strategy on various social media channels to show you how to use social media to make it big.
Is Social Media The Magic Bullet To Promote Your Self Published Book?
By Annie Pilon on Small Business Trends
Annie has compiled real life stories from authors who have succeeded in using social media to gain awareness for their work.
Facebook Page Engagement Insights for Churches
By Dave Hakes on Internet Toolbox for Churches
Dave breaks down a report from Facebook on what makes a good post and applies it to the needs of churches.
Please visit New World Creative Union where you can find
a storehouse of social media tips I shared with this great
group of creatives! And if you're a poet, writer, artist, artisan
photographer, etc. please join us!
Visit me during the week on your favorite network:
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn for more helpful
social media and marketing tips!
Here’s my weekly schedule of what kinds of helpful posts I’ll be sharing:
Monday – General social media and marketing tips
Tuesday – Tips for artists
Wednesday – Tips for writers
Thursday – Tips for spiritual organizations and churches
Friday - Post my blog, hang out on Twitter and study social media so you don't have to.
 This week it’s all about boosting your use of social media. From making it easier, to getting the most out of Google+ to getting those calls-to-action down this week’s selection will help you streamline your process. Let’s dive in and see what they have to say!
The Minimalist Guide to Social Media By Toni Tesori on Livehacked
If you only have time for one article this week make it this one. Toni walks you through the basics. Her tips will help you optimally use social media and still have time for your creative work.
5 Tips for Using Google+ to Boost Your Marketing
By Jason Miller on Social Media Examiner
Google+ is becoming more important all the time. The number of users is growing and the biggest factor in its importance is that it is connected to Google Search. Google is still the number one way people search the Web according to this research by eBizMBA.
13 Point Checklist to Optimize Social Media Call-To-Action
By Heidi Cohen
Whether you’re selling a piece of art or a book of poems this checklist will help you move people to action. Her advice on getting specific on what you have to offer is very important. Start off by trying a few of her tips and see what happens.
Please visit New World Creative Union where you can find
a storehouse of social media tips I shared with this great
group of creatives! And if you're a poet, writer, artist, artisan
photographer, etc. please join us!
Visit me during the week on your favorite network:
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn for more helpful
social media and marketing tips!
Here’s my weekly schedule of what kinds of helpful posts I’ll be sharing:
Monday – General social media and marketing tips
Tuesday – Tips for artists
Wednesday – Tips for writers
Thursday – Tips for spiritual organizations and churches
Friday - Post my blog, hang out on Twitter and study social media so you don't have to.
 This week’s articles range from reputation clubs to the importance of fonts to Google+ events. And for fun, discover which social network fits you. Let's jump in!
Own your online reputation with help from your friends By Chris Abraham on Socialmedia.bizStart a reputation club! This is a great idea for those who are less than prolific and don’t have the time to spread their work around the Net. New World Creative Union is a group of creatives who do this for one another. Check it out and see if this will work for you.
Choose Your Fonts Wisely To Maximize Credibility
By Meranda Watling on 10,000 Words
Even fonts sway us. This brings home how important every aspect of your marketing campaign can be. You have to keep your eye on the details and the big picture.
5 Ways to Use Google+ Events for Your Business
By Lisa Peyton on Social Media Examiner
If you’re not on Google+ you might want to think about going over there. I love Facebook, but Google+ one ups them on the events tool. This article shows you how best to use Google+ events depending on what you want to promote. And with the help of Google+ hangouts you can make a virtual event feel like you’re there in person.
What Social Network Fits Your Personality?
By Nancy Perkins on Social Media Today
I threw this one in just for fun. But it does help you understand where you might best thrive online.
Please visit me over at New World Creative Union every week where I share a weekly tip with a great group of creatives. And if you're a poet, writer, artist, photographer, etc. please join us!
 This week it's all about content because what else is there? Your blog posts, status updates, tweets, shared photos and links are all content. Let’s dive in and learn more about planning, creating and promoting your content.
In-depth Guide to Content Creation [With Infographic] by John Pring on SEOmoz
John says:
Having said that, the research portion of your content creation process can often be one of the most important – delivering content based on flawed, incorrect, irrelevant or (perhaps worst of all) boring information will get you nowhere and will essentially nullify all your efforts in the latter stages.
#You heard the man, research is key. Dig in and find the best data to share and make sure it’s good. The Purdue Online Writing Lab aka OWL has a helpful section on conducting research. You may not need to be this formal, but it points out some basics that are helpful.
11 Tips to Get Your Content Marketing on Track [Research] by Heidi Cohen
Heidi shares:
Find your organization’s stories. This is critical since people remember stories not a bunch of facts. Think across your organization including your product, sales and customer service staff. Don’t underestimate your customers’ stories related to your product.
*This one may be easy for you authors out there. Many of you are storytelling experts. Be sure to use that skill to tell your own story. Your fans want to know you better. And all those involved with churches and spiritual organizations have many stories to tell. Tell the story of your denomination, your particular church or share the stories of your members.
5 Content Marketing Strategy Fundamentals on the sitespring blogThis blog post tells us:
Website content should be:
Valuable
Usable
Branded
Findable
Shareable
(And in this order they say.)
As you focus on these core principles that make up a quality content marketing strategy I suggest approaching the plan with 3 specifics:
1. Measurable Goals
2. Target Audience
3. Target Keywords
*I’m making a sticky note right now of these core principles to put above my computer screen. I hope you will, too. Though many of these things cross our minds when we share, we don’t always capture all of them in a post.
When we share third party content it may seem odd to think about branding it, but think about how you present it to your audience. You can put your own spin on it and use your keywords in your post of the link.
Please visit me over at New World Creative Union every week
where I share a weekly tip with a great group of creatives.
And if you're a poet, writer, artist, photographer, etc.
please join us!
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