Do Writers Really Need Social Media? - Guest Post Anita Chapman

Today, I am very pleased to welcome onto my blog writer and Social Media Manager, Anita Chapman. As writers, it's impossible to escape social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and the good old blog to name but a few. Like it or hate it, social media is here to stay and it's something we need to embrace if we want to be able to engage with our readers and other writers. The only problem is, it's a minefield out there. When interviewing Anita, there were so many questions I wanted to ask her - Which social media platforms should we be on? How should we manage our time? How easy is it to upset someone by doing the wrong thing? I decided the best thing to do was to think of some questions writers new to social media might ask and see it Anita could help. Here are her answers. 

Thank you so much for inviting me to be a guest on your fantastic blog, Wendy, and for asking such great questions on behalf of your fictional friends!

You're very welcome, Anita. Can you tell us a little more about neetsmarketing and why you set it up?

I decided to become a Freelance Social Media Manager when, because I was managing the social media for the Historical Novel Society, some authors who I knew were asking me for advice online and at events. In December 2014, Ian Skillicorn asked me to manage the social media for Corazon Books for a couple of weeks, then I built a website (which I plan to have rebuilt soon), and everything else followed from there. I ran two Social Media Courses for Writers in Surrey last year and my next course will be in London on 7 May. The neetsmarketing blog was initially intended to be a place where potential clients could see if I’d be helpful to them. Posts have become inspired by questions asked by clients and course attendees, and the blog has been a useful place to direct clients to when they asked how to do something that I’d written about already. Most clients approach me via word of mouth, which is great, and I’ve been privileged to work for Eliza Redgold and Libertà Books in the past year, among others

Jill has been told that as a writer it’s essential she has a ‘social media platform’. Do you agree?

It’s important to have a social media presence to be taken seriously, and so readers can show their support if they wish to. Agents and publishers expect authors to have a social media presence, and as an unpublished writer, it’s worth getting everything set up so that when you’re published you have a head start. And if you plan to self-publish, you really will need a strong online presence to market your books.

Eddie is thinking about starting a writing blog but someone has told him that blogs have had their day. Are they correct?

When I first started my neetswriter blog in 2011, blogging did seem to be a bigger deal than it is now, but I’ve benefitted so much from starting that blog and it raised my profile. That neetswriter blog helps me to keep my writing in check and I’ve made lots of friends through blogging too (it’s how I found you, Wendy!). It’s a matter of personal taste though, and if Eddie enjoys writing blog posts, he should embrace blogging, but if he doesn’t, he could opt to keep posts short and more update-based, for example about a writing event he’s been to with a few photos. If Eddie writes historical fiction, he could write about the era which interests him. Hosting guests helps as it brings readers of other authors/blogs to you, and it takes the pressure off having to write the posts yourself. An alternative to blogging alone (or additional possibility) is to join or set up a group blog. Good examples are The Romaniacs blog, and the very successful English Historical Fiction Authors blog.

When Anne posts a tweet on Twitter with a popular hashtag she sometimes gets dozens of retweets. She doesn’t want to offend people but thanking everyone would eat into precious writing time. What should she do?

In this case, Anne can tweet a general thank you, including the hashtag. It’s worth remembering (where possible!) who retweets your stuff though, and to reciprocate where you can. If someone takes the time to compose their own tweet mentioning Anne’s blog post or link to her book on Amazon, it’s good to thank them individually if she can, and to retweet it too, which helps to raise their profile.

Jo has been told she ought to have a Facebook ‘author page’ but will anybody ever see it unless she pays?

A reason for an author to have a Facebook Page is so they don’t have to accept friend requests from everyone, which allows them to keep their personal Facebook profile for family and friends ie. it’s a place where readers can see what the author’s up to by liking the Page. A Facebook Page allows the author to post cover reveals, news of a new book deal, or the publication date for the next release; as well as content relating to their book(s). Paying for promo doesn’t have to cost that much (Jo can try it out for £1 for one day), and I’d say it’s worth the investment when releasing a new book or to raise profile generally (linking to your own website/blog/ Amazon buy link gives the most benefit). It’s a chance to get your stuff in front of the eyes of those who wouldn’t otherwise see it. Some Facebook Pages are more successful than others, and posting regularly with content which fits in with your ‘brand’ is the best way to gain any impact. Elizabeth Chadwick is an author with a fantastic Facebook Page.

Paul is new to Twitter and doesn’t want to look silly. What are the top three mistakes you would warn him about?

1. Starting a tweet intended for all your followers with @username, as only those following Paul and that person will see the tweet. Eg. ‘@fabauthor has written a new blog post about point of view’ should instead be something like ‘new blog post about point of view, by @fabauthor’.
2. Confusing hashtags with usernames. Eg @amwriting instead of #amwriting.
3. Pitching to agents.

Emma hasn’t used social media before. Can neetsmarketing help her?

My neetsmarketing blog has posts by me and guests on how to use social media as a writer. The most popular post currently is My Beginner’s Guide to Twitter for Writers which I’ve revamped for 2016.
I could help Emma as a Freelance Social Media Manager (More info on my website).
Emma could attend one of my Social Media Courses for Writers, where she’ll be able to bring her laptop and get stuck into social media for a day. I’ve just organised my next course in London for 7 May 2016 and there’s an early bird price until the end of February (the flyer is being put together at the moment, but here is the info on my Facebook Page).

Finally, if you could give one piece of marketing advice to my fictitious writers above in one sentence, what would it be?

Try not to be needy, negative or too much about you; and learn from your peers and idols.

Thank you, Anita. I've certainly learnt a lot today and I'm sure others will have too.

Anita Chapman is a Freelance Social Media Manager and she runs Social Media Courses for Writers. Anita writes historical fiction set in eighteenth century Italy and spent five years on the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s new Writers’ Scheme, before joining the RNA as an Associate Member in 2016 wearing her neetsmarketing hat. Anita is Social Media Manager for the Historical Novel Society, and Publicity Officer for the next HNS Conference in Oxford, 2-4 September 2016 #HNSOxford16.

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