Posting your Content in the Right Order

For most of us who use social media for our private lives, it's an automatic reaction to go post on Facebook or Twitter when we have something to share with our friends, family and lurking acquaintences. But as authors, maybe we should rethink that strategy. 

Sometimes we have good news to share like "My latest novel is getting great reviews!" Or maybe it's not-so-good news like "It looks like I'll need to completely change the ending of my current book." Or perhaps you have an event you want to share like "I'm speaking at the library's author fair next month." Whatever the news you want to share, resist the urge to spill it first on social media. 

Instead, take the time to write a blog post for your website. It doesn't have to be an epic poem version, but of course it should be well-written enough to showcase your skills. Add a graphic -- again, it doesn't have to be epic, but make sure you have the rights to use it. 

Once that blog post is written, NOW you can share the news on Facebook, Twitter or wherever. Use the link from your blog in your social media post. Not only will that generate the graphic from your blog so you have an attention-grabbing image in your Facebook feed, but you can keep your post short for scanning in the feed while providing a link to the rest of the content.

The reason for sharing FIRST on your website, THEN on social media is to drive traffic. Facebook and Twitter are great tools for you to use, but you don't own them like you do your own website. Your goal should always be to get folks to come to your website where everything is about YOU. There are way too many distractions for folks on social media sites. You want to keep their interest on you and your books, so send them to your site and where you have the opportunity to hold their interest with other blog posts, photos, events, videos and other cool stuff that's about YOU. 

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA