By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

On January 24, I addressed the question, “Does Social Media Sell Books?” Click to read the blog. Now that you understand the value of establishing an active social media platform, let’s move on to another critical issue for writers.

Misconceptions about the value of social media can paralyze the writer who is determined to reach new readers about her message

1.  There’s no need for a writer to create a presence on social media and develop a brand until the book is written.

I could list many examples of agents and editors who declined on a book because the writer failed to have a social media presence. The writer not only lost representation or a contract but also delayed getting her writing into the hands of readers.

Now is the time to develop a platform, not after the book is published. Learn how to be effective and efficient.

2. A successful writer must have a presence on every platform.

So untrue. Savvy writers navigate to where readers are spending time posting and exploring interests and those things relevant to their lives, professionally and personally. Relationships are built when a writer understands readers’ needs and works diligently to meet them.

Platforms have characteristics. Study them to see if your readers are hanging out there.

3. Social media provides lots of platforms to talk about my books.

Honestly, have you ever bought something because the salesperson bragged about herself? Right. A huge turnoff. A professional writer is a people person who first establishes a relationship with the potential reader. The connection is based on, “How can I help you.” Not buy my book.

4. The best way for me to get more followers is to purchase them.

I understand your rationale about this: the more followers the more the likelihood of someone buying my book.How many of those new followers are fake? How many of them are readers? A writer spends hours pouring over a manuscript. The goal is quality work. With that mindset, are you after quantity or quality of followers?My personal favorite of growing Twitter followers is ManageFlitter.com

My favorite method of growing Twitter followers is ManageFlitter.com
There I can select those who read what I write, are professionals within the industry, and individuals who produce content that is important to every facet of my life.

5. Social media analytics are only for big businesses.

The following measuring tools help me measure my progress and where I need to improve my marketing strategy. These are difficult to navigate and offer a variety of helpful information.
Buffer
Google analytics
Grammarly
Hootsuite
Mailchimp
Manage Flitter
WordPress

Let’s get rid of these misconceptions. What social media claims have you heard that falls under the myth category?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Suspense Sister, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson. She teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

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