Monday, December 15, 2014

To Tweet or Not to Tweet


Last week, I talked about pushing the sales of our books.  Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus, LinkedIn, word of mouth, hiring a PR firm, or the countless other ways to generate interest, what has worked the best for me has been word of mouth and the PR firm.  As long as you have a good product represented by some fantastic reviews, word of mouth seems to keep our sales afloat.
 

Today, I am going to dive deeper into Twitter.  I had no idea what Twitter even meant until I attended a publishing seminar led by bestselling author and pitch leaders, David Henry Sterry and Arielle Eckstut.  They are both married, to each other, and taught me more in one seminar than I would have learned on my own researching for months.
I also bought their book, The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published:  How to Write It, Sell It, and Market It... Successfully.  I like to think of this book as my "publishing bible."  Whether you are going to self-publish or pursue the traditional route, this reference will lead your passion to a better suited destination.  I highly recommend reading it.
 

During the seminar, Twitter was brought up because of its power and substance not only within the world wide web, but also within its ability to connect people with one another.  For example, without Twitter, I would NEVER have met one of my “author besties,” K Sentek.  She is a fellow children’s book author who I decided to follow because at the time, she was following one of my favorite children’s authors, Karma Wilson.  Without Twitter, I would never have met her or some of my other author friends who have bought my book, provided reviews and have showed incredible support.

Twitter also has the potential to help spread word about our books.  But how often do you tweet about your book?  Once a day?  Once every hour?  Once every 30 minutes?

I have yet to sign up for an automated Twitter service which allows me to have more free time for myself instead of going through all of my Twitter notifications, one by one, or copying and pasting my tweets while trying to tweet at least once every hour or so.  I know some authors like the automated services so their tweets go out as they schedule them.  They can also schedule retweets for other authors and writers who retweet for them. 

But do all of these tweets really help the sales of our books?  Yesterday, I had 25 people (mostly authors) retweet a link I shared for my children’s book.  Normally, I average anywhere from 5 to 30 retweets, depending on how often I have retweeted for them.  Even after 25 people retweeted my link and shared it with their followers, not one book!  Not one sale. 
 
 

So what am I doing wrong?  I like to think my phrases engender interest and are enticing to my followers and fellow retweeters' fan base.  I always say something captivating or endearing while trying to reach the types of readers who will purchase books that rhyme and have powerful messages, beautiful illustrations, and memorable storylines. 
One way I have found helpful was to reach out to my target audience.  Since my children’s book centers around outdoor play and imagination, I rummage through Twitter land, trying to stumble upon the hidden treasures who are advocates for nature and the great outdoors.  Although this can be quite time consuming,  it has proved to place my children’s book into the hearts and hands of this group.  Again, finding these people can be a pain, especially since a lot of them hardly check there notifications as much as we do.
I like to believe there are still children and adults who value outdoor play and imagination rather than having their minds constantly stimulated by technology or video games.  My school author visits always provoke an appreciation for imagination and outdoor play which is why I will continue to use word of mouth and recommendations to help my business grow.
 
So what works with Twitter?  What doesn’t?  Have you established new friendships with other authors or writers through Twitter?  How often do you tweet?  I would love to hear your thoughts!



42 comments:

  1. great post! I love Twitter talk. I took a class in college for Web Programming and the professor turned it into a "how to market yourself on the web" it was invaluable. I learned a lot, but this was before I started seriously writing books, so I didn't care as much then and there was a lot of trial and error. I've been using my twitter as I would a FB since like 2009, so for me, injecting those promotional tweets (no book yet but when I talk writing or share my blogs) happens like twice a week. i'd rather just tweet pictures of my kitten. lol. Once I have a book, my plan with twitter might change though! But now I'm going to go and follow you so I can RT you too :)

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  2. Awe, thanks Beth! I'm following you back and will retweet your tweets or photos of your cats, lol. Your profile pic with your kitty cuddling with your sock is precious.
    You're a Twitter alumni! Wow, five years is a long time. I have been using Twitter for my other account for two years and this one, a little over one. It's definitely been handy when finding my target audience and I love #Mondayblogs

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    1. hehe thank you! that might actually be one of my fav pics ever lol.

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  3. Great post! I do schedule a lot of tweets, both through Triberr and Hootsuite, and belong to a tweet-ring (a bunch of authors who take turns tweeting stuff for one another). It's helpful, but definitely doesn't translate into sales very often. Though I've met some great people on twitter and have really come to view it more as a way to chat with people and I kind of leave my marketing stuff in the background. Maybe not the best move, but it's what I have time for :/

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  4. Thanks, Meradeth! I didn't realize both you were on Twitter. I am now following you and will retweet for you=)
    I really should think about using something like Hootsuite. There are a few others who use this automated tweet service and they say it save them time. I need all the time I can get so I can write more and tweet less.
    I love chatting with people through Twitter but try to be careful about what I say. Once that tweet goes out, it's gone, gone, gone!

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  5. I've heard David Henry Sterry and Arielle Eckstut speak at a conference before. They're quite knowledgeable.

    I'm on Twitter, but I don't use it too much. I tweet some people, tweet my own books maybe once a month or once every two months, and I use Triberr to send out blog posts from people groups I follow through Triberr. I also use Hootsuite to schedule posts, which is really helpful. I've tried chatting with people, but there's so much noise (yes, I follow way too many people) that it's hard for me to really connect. It's like being at a crowded party and all I want to do is hide in the corner. LOL!

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    1. Lol:)
      This is why I usually check my notifications more so than pay attention to my Twitter feed. Or if I really like the author or blogger, I will personally check their wall to see what's new.
      David and Arielle are awesome. They actually live in an upscale hippiesh town which suits them well:) I know this because it's 25 minutes from where I live and I always go out to dinner in their town.

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    2. I do like notifications. It makes it easier. And that's cool they live nearby.

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  6. I love twitter! Things happen on twitter!

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  7. I've gotten a few sales from Twitter but not many. I use it more to interact with people about things I like—TV shows, movies, etc.

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    1. I used to do that more often than now and after reading both yours and Quanie's comments, I think I am going to dip back into it.

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  8. and #MondayBlogs brings me here again today! I look out for your blog posts. No twitter-intelligence reply, just stopping by, cup of coffee, reading and passing on!!! Have a great week Gina!

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    1. Yay! I love when you stop by Joy. You honestly are such a JOY! Thank you #MondayBlogs for bringing our musings together:)

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  9. My Twitter skills are lackluster. I would like to interact with people more--as I am quite friendly after coffee, but I am always time challenged and running at negative capacity. My only hope is to win the lottery, quit my day job, write during the day and take tweet breaks. Until then... it's here and there.

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    1. You are not alone, Brenda. My boyfriend is picking up lotto tickets as we speak in hopes we can both quit our jobs and pursue our passions!

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  10. I've met some people on Twitter. I don't think it's necessarily good for sales per se, but I think it's good for getting people to a blog post where they can get to know you better and that can lead to sales. Like all social media, it's about building relationships. Once people know you (and like you), they'll be willing to buy your book and then if they like it, tell people about it. Also, I think it might be a good idea to tweet outside your industry to get people interested in you. Tweet during Scandal on Thursday nights (using the #Scandal hashtag)? Say something funny enough/interesting enough and people might look you up, see that you have a book, and buy it because they think you're interesting. Just a thought.

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  11. Yes, Quanie! I used to do this while watching The Walking Dead and Naked and Afraid. Great advice:)

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  12. Hey Ms. Gina, I have twitter, but I blush to admit, I don't use it like I should. I'm just not convinced it adds to sales. Hope it works out for you.

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    1. I guess time will tell, my friend. All we can do is try=)

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  13. I use Twitter once or twice a day. I enjoyed it more when I was following fewer people. Now that I have many followers and followings, I find that it's too crowded. Still, when I search my book titles, people are tweeting and retweeting, so I know it helps.

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    1. Twitter can be very overcrowded. I can't imagine overseeing someone like Ellen DeGeneres or Taylor Swift's accounts.
      It feels good when others are retweeting for us. There is a support system which gives us hope that our books get into the right readers' hands.

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  14. Gina: I'm not trying to sell books, so I can't comment on that, but I am having a very hard time figuring out how to balance the reciprocity Twitter requires to help me grow readers of my blog with the other priorities in my life, especially since I started working full time. It's a theme I expect to come back to in the blog as I determine my 2015 goals. It rather feels like the same problem we have in the nonprofit world with special events; they are important to generate awareness of our organization and its cause, but they rarely make enough money to pay for themselves unless you're in a very large organization that has dedicated staff for that purpose. Even then, they are not an efficient way to make money if that is the only way you are evaluating them.

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    1. I, too, find it difficult to balance enough time for recruiting the proper readers for my blog. I have been blogging for a year and a half now and I can only continue to have my audience grow with the more people who follow me or connect with me. Paula, if you are not a member of She Writes, I suggest you join this website. It is an amazing place to meet other bloggers, authors and readers. There, you can feel others and their writing out and vice versa.
      Thanks for sharing!

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  15. I find that Twitter is not really a way to sell books. Twitter, in my mind, is a way to meet and build an online community, and a way to directly interact with fellow authors and book bloggers—who are the ones who will be doing the promoting for me. Tweets don't sell books. In fact, I usually unfollow people who send out "buy my book" Tweets. I'm only going to buy a book if someone I know and respect recommends it to me personally, or who talks/tweets about it of their own volition. But perhaps that is my personal preference, though I think many on Twitter feel the same way as we are so inundated with people hawking their wares. I'm on Twitter for connection, not to spend money on books the author themselves are promoting.

    I'm really inspired to hear that you have so many followers and get so many retweets. That's a great network you have, Gina.

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    1. I agree, Twitter is a fantastic way to network with others and establish relationships which will grow as our writing grows. I've met several bloggers and authors who have shown such amazing support toward my writing and vice versa. They are excited and rooting for me as I am for them.
      As far as tweeting goes, I never yell out "buy my book." I do, however, release tweets with the link to my book and something catchy along with it. If I notice there is someone who is an advocate for the message my story stands by, I will kindly tell them about my book. Sometimes, they show interest, other times, not so much. In this business, being a self-published author means we are our own marketers, promoters, business gurus and salesmen and women. If we aren't allowing people to know our work exists, they will never have the opportunity to see if it's right for them and their family.
      But I agree, it's never a good idea to be pushy. Both word of mouth and recommendations are also key.

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  16. As you in, I'm not on Twitter, but I do plan on joining some time next year because so many authors say it's the place to be. I think as long as people are tweeting or retweeting you, Twitter is working because it's getting your name out there. Maybe that doesn't generate sales but it's still a plus on our side. :)

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    1. Yay! I will be looking forward to you joining! I do tweet for your books from time to time but it would definitely be easier to retweet you, lol=)

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  17. Yeah, I don't really know how to leverage Twitter followers into actual SALES, but it's a fantastic question...and one I would love to see answered!! I'm more inclined to think Kiersi is right, and Twitter is about building community, rather than selling something.

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    1. It definitely is a great way to build a strong online community. I have come across some really incredible people and their stories and support are inspiring.

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  18. We've been discussing Twitter lately in my writer's group. We all found that cutting back on the promos and doing more personal tweets gets more attention and increases interactions with other people on Twitter. I use to tweet a lot, but I don't think they resulted in more than a few sales.

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    1. Funny, Christine. We were talking about Twitter last week in my writer's group which is what provoked this post. There are a couple of people in my group who don't have Twitter but are thinking about starting an account based off of our discussion last week.

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  19. As you've probably learned, I think Twitter is great for promotion but it's best to not promote...if that makes sense! I work for a lot of marketing firms and they have me write about "best ways to use Twitter to market your product." Same with blogs, Facebook, etc. While occasional promotion is great, I think ALL of these tools are best used to actually interact with each other. When people like your Twitter posts, they'll naturally learn more about you and buy your book.

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    1. Great advice, Stephanie! I'm sure it helps having experience working for marketing firms. My boyfriend works in this industry so he helps me from time to time but for the most part, I have done all of the research and promoting on my own. I'm still trying to find the best way to get our names out there because Twitter only generates a few sales.
      You are absolutely right, when people like our tweets, they do have a better idea about our work.

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  20. I'm also still trying to figure Twitter out (and trying to tweet or RT more). I've been dormant previously. There are excellent links to blog articles there but there is a lot of sieving to do. As a user (unlike a promoter), I have never bought a book just because I read about it on Twitter. If I find an interesting title/review/book cover on Twitter, I'll check the book out on Goodreads and place it on my to-read list. Then if I'm really, really interested in it, I'll look for a copy at my library. If that's not available, and I still really want to read it, I'll check on Kindle. If the price is good, I'll buy it.

    So ... several hurdles for us authors to get through before a reader decides to buy our books. :) Nevertheless, Twitter is an energetic platform to post our blog links, reviews, and display our taste (in our RTs). If I see someone's posts often enough, and I like her 'taste,' I'll definitely follow her closer on her blog and one day, buy her works.

    (25 RTs for a post is great! Word is getting out about your book, Gina.)

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    1. I love this.. "Twitter is an energetic platform." I couldn't have said it better!
      It definitely helps us get to feel out our fellow authors and bloggers and the content they are putting out there.
      I try to retweet as much as possible for others, especially those who I admire, like you, Claudine=)

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  21. How great that you found a book that helps you so much. Navigating the waters of promotion is exhausting, so anything that helps is awesome! I don't tweet so I can't answer the last question....

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    1. Yes! I highly recommend reading this book. It was such a huge help in aiding my ventures within the publishing industry.

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  22. Ok wow! Love this post. I'm going to get The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published. I'm on the hunt for great books on writing! P.s love the header photo on your blog! <3 Hope you're having a wonderful holiday season.

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    1. Thank you, Anna!
      You will love this book. It's long but well worth every word=)
      Have a beautiful holiday week!! And Merry Christmas!!

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  23. Hi Gina, well I don't believe twitter translates to book sales (necessarily). It's a fun place to meet other authors and bloggers and maybe some traffic to your site. That's it though. I have tried paying facebook for a post booster for 'buy the book' and it works quite well. The best sales tactic was local newspaper interviews and spots. When these were published my book sales from stores boomed. Great topic! Sorry I'm so late to your wonderful post!

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  24. P.S. Are you on GoodReads? Definitely should get an author profile there and list your book.

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