You can also begin to connect with readers and build your
online community. With all the social media sites we have today, it’s much
easier to connect with the people from your past, present and make new
connections as well. Some of the major sites that I use and you may want to use
to connect on the internet are:
- · Google+
- · Linked In
- · You Tube
- · Goodreads
- · Amazon
- · Stumble Upon
- · Digg
There are many more that I have not listed here and new
sites are popping up all the time. Be on the lookout. Each site seems to have
different people who prefer them, so you make different connection on each of
them.
One of the first things you have to do on all of these sites
is to build a profile. The more detailed your information the better. It helps
other people find you and know if they would like to connect with you. You will
also need a picture for your profile. I recommend you get a professional
picture taken and use it on all the sites so that everywhere someone finds you
the picture will be the same. This will help people to begin to recognize you.
You can change it periodically if you want to.
You will be able to connect with friends and other people in
your genre. Try to narrow down your connections to people who would be
interested in your type of books. You can do this by doing searches in each
site to see who else is talking about the things you’re interested in. The
longer you are on the sites the more people you will connect with. It is a
gradual process. Do a little each day to add to your social media platform.
Over time you can make good connections and maybe even some
good friends. If you are planning on publishing a book it’s important to start
building your platform immediately. Don’t wait until your book is published to
get started. Start now so you can have a good foundation when it comes time to
market your book. Also, you can share the publishing process so people will
already be aware of your book before it’s even published.
Each one of these sites is a little different and has
different ways of connecting with the people that may be of interest to you.
Some of them have groups that you can join. Try to pick groups that would be in
your niche or genre. You don’t want to be members of all groups, only the ones
that are of interest to you. For instance, I write Christian Bible studies and
devotionals so I’ve joined a lot of Christian groups. I also have a book about
self-publishing so I’m in a lot of writer and author groups.
Through these networks of people you may be able to find
editors, book cover designers, website designers, book designers, publishers;
partners, coaches, social media and seo experts as well as readers with whom
you want to connect. Don’t be shy start making connections today. You never
know where these connections can lead.
1.
Action steps:
- Expand your reach to a new online platform.
- Make sure to include as much information as you feel comfortable sharing on your profiles. Update your profiles periodically.
- Check out some other author’s social media pages to see what they’re sharing. I’d love for you to connect with me on any of the sites I’m active on.
If you would like help in building your online platform
contact me at:
Put "Building Online Platform" in the subject line. I’d love to coach you through the process.
Have a blessed day,
Deborah
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