Self Publishing Today

Here is the general idea of Twitter:

It’s a social networking site where a user answers the question “What are you doing?” to make a status update. Then, “followers” of this user (friends, family, co-workers, etc.) receive an update on their own Twitter pages informing them of the user’s status.

Twitter is similar to Facebook status updates or AIM Away Messages, if you are familiar with those. It is instant communication, and in this technological age, that’s important. For some people, even email has too long of a “send and response” period.

Twitter is a unique way to network because you can reach so many people—even some you don’t know. This is possible because your followers’ friends can see your updates if they follow your friend. Therefore, you are able to reach people that might be more interested in you because you have a mutual connection. And when you are marketing your book, it is very good to have a lot of friends who can help promote you by word of mouth (or “Tweets,” as the status updates are called on Twitter).

So how exactly can you promote your book on Twitter? Well, there are a plethora of websites devoted to tips and tricks of Twitter Marketing—just try typing “Twitter Marketing” into your favorite search engine. I’ll outline a few relevant tips, but I recommend taking a look at these websites as well:

1. Don’t worry about making every post a reference to your book. This will help you be more authentic and build networking relationships while you are marketing your book. For example, John Kremer only references his product in about 1 of every 10 posts.

2. Reach your target audience by finding users with similar interests. John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing recommends using a site called “Twellow.” Twellow acts as a directory to connect you with other Twitter users who have similar interests.

3. Make sure your profile is up-to-date. After all, Twitter is a social-networking site: users are interested in you! Shoestring Branding sees Twitter as a great way to market your “personal brand.” As a self-published author, you certainly have something interesting to say about why you wrote your book, who you are, and what makes you different.

Now, here’s the real question to ask yourself: is Twitter right for your book marketing strategy? I recommend that you don’t make a Twitter marketing campaign the main aspect of your marketing plan. After all, you can take advantage of many other different strategies—which might better suit your personality or your target audience’s tech-savvyness—while also participating in Twitter. Consider checking out the post I’ve written about blog-writing to market your book, because linking your Twitter updates in your blog can be affective cross-media marketing.

I’ve written about book marketing plans and book marketing ideas on the Dog Ear site. Check those out to find a good starting place for your marketing strategy. And remember, whatever you choose to do, the key is commitment: Create a plan and follow through!

Filed under: Current events, book marketing, self publishing | Tagged: book marketing, marketing strategies, self publishing, Twitter