Now more than ever writers are using social media to present their personal brands, taking their careers to the next level. Featuring your work online can lead to glowing reviews from fellow writers and can lead to requests from editors and publishers. Here are a few tips on how you can use social media to promote yourself as a writer.
Set up your identity
The first step in developing your personal brand is to define your identity. Who are you? What do you write? And, how do you differ from other writers? The answer to these questions forms the basis of your brand. It’s important to establish your brand, but there is no set way to create one. You may already have an online presence, big or small, which means you actually have a brand. To maintain and enhance the credibility of your brand make sure you are sharing accurate information and pay attention to your online persona. Many writers have damaged their reputations through being dishonest online and making small but significant slip-ups such as typos. These are things that could make or break your brand.
Optimise your bio
The bio on your profile should share your interests and the topics you write about. Your bio tends to be the first thing people will read on your profile, so it is important that you make it memorable. Ask yourself this question,’Is my bio enough to make someone interested in learning more about me?’
Create shareable content
If you want your profile to gain followers and attention, shares are more important than likes. Sharing content that asks open-ended questions, or covers the latest issues is a great way of increasing engagement with your profile.. The better the content, the better your brand is! But, remember it’s not all about you. Sharing other users’ content and engaging with editors and other writers will help you build valuable connections. Social media is about equal give and take when it comes to liking, sharing and following.
Interact with your Audience
Most social media platforms today have an option to live-stream and interact with your audience on camera. Having face to face contact allows your audience to get a better understanding of your personality, who you are and what kind of writing you produce. Before you do this, it is beneficial to do some research on what platform your audience uses, for example it may be on Twitter but not on Facebook. By testing the waters and researching your target audience you are able to focus your time and energy to maximum effect.
Show your work
This may sound quite obvious but don’t forget to show your work. Posting pictures of your morning coffee is perfectly fine, but it won’t help people discover your work. The majority of the time, your content will speak for you. Many publishers will also look at your social media profile to see what you’re working on at the moment and how you interact online. Remember content is key!
Stay consistent
Like with any brand, it is important to present a consistent image online. If you have more than one social media account make sure your handles are the same, or as similar as can be as this will make it easier for your audience to follow you. The frequency of posts and audience interaction should also remain consistent for your personal brand to be successful.
If you enjoyed reading this article and found it helpful or have any other ways writers can use social media to boost their personal brand identity, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you.