The Worst Thing an Author Can Do Using Social Media Marketing

Did any of you have a Facebook or twitter account before needing to use it as an author to market your book?  I did (and still do) that I use to share pictures, communicate, and interact with my family and friends.

I follow a lot of authors….A lot. I see hundreds, if not thousands of their posts each day.  Over and over and over again, I see the same mistake from many authors.

So, it seems like it’s a happy, nice place to see pics of the nephews and connect with friends.  What don’t you allow in these spaces? or maybe a better question:

If you’re a real person on Facebook and Twitter – what makes you unfollow someone?

I’ll give you a hint, here are three examples of what I’ve seen from authors:

•  7 posts exactly the same (in a 24 hour period) from an author: Read the first chapter of my book <Link Removed>
• 11 posts (in a 24 hour period) from an author, clearly automated saying: <book quote> <hashtags> <Book Title> <Amazon Link>
• I stopped counting around 35, probably 150 to 200 posts in one day, half with #AmReading hashtag (yes, like 75 different books) and the other half with Read an Excerpt of my book.  Amazon link in EVERY post.

This looks like SPAM.  It looks like crap in my timeline.  What do you think the odds are of me using one of their links and buying a book?  Zero.  In fact, it makes me reconsider following the person at all.  Marketing should never make people walk the other way.

This is the worst thing an author can do while using social media marketing.  These authors are forgetting the word “Social” – the fact is that Twitter, Facebook, and other social media are all about interacting with people.

What is the right way for an author to use social media marketing?

It’s easy.  Be yourself. If you want me to buy your book, interact with me.  Engage me with a question (such as: Will Disney mess up the Star Wars movie?).  Show me funny pics of cats.  Share interesting articles. RT posts from me that you think your readers might enjoy.

Get the idea?  Then when you ask me to check out a book chapter or pre-order your next release, I’m in!  Most readers will be more likely to be in.

It is ok to ask readers to buy a book, read a chapter, or check out your fan page.  It just can’t be constant.  In general, you should keep the “buy something” posts to less than once a week.  The only exception is when you have a book release or are running a contest, in which case you can post about that 1 to 2 times a day.