How to Build Social Media Profile as a Writer
In 2022, an online following is a MUST for any writer. Being a writer is so much ‘more’ than writing! We need to show up if we want to get ahead and make money from our projects.
Many writers do this online via self-publishing, using sites like SubStack or Patreon or creating online products like courses or real-life events like workshops.
Luckily, in the era of social media, building an online following is really not that difficult. Let’s read on to learn a few tips … ready? Let’s go!
1) Build a Unique Brand
Building a unique brand is easier said than done. However, this is not a futile task. All you need to do is understand your audience: what they want and need. (This can have the added benefit of helping you understand target audience for your writing too!).
Another thing you need is to understand the competition in your niche. Analyze them and see what you can do to stand apart. You can also identify potential allies this way and help one another out.
2) Understand Your Audience
Understanding your audience involves several factors. You should be able to understand their interests, as well as what gets their attention online.
With younger audiences, simple and short sentences packed with great graphics work the best. For older audiences, calmer colours and more text to engage with work better.
3) Build A Strong Online Presence
A good profile is nothing without a strong presence. Plan your social media content at least a3-5 days in advance to ensure no day goes without a post due to a lack of inspiration.
A strong and consistent presence is necessary, as it helps build what we like to call the brand.
4) Build Your Own Platform
Once you have your social media profiles, it is time to think about a platform. Having your own platform, usually in the form of a website, will give you freedom of content and diversification that no social network can.
Here, you can post short stories, photos, videos, audio material, as well as any freebies you may want to share with your audience. You can also use your website to sell audio and ebooks, your merch, and establish affiliate marketing links.
5) Run a Self-Promotion Campaign
Once you have your website in place, it is time to think about self-promo. Self-promotion is delivering an image of yourself to the public.
However, you should not reinvent your personality for this campaign. Rather, think about aspects of your personality that your audience may want to see. Then present them.
To get noticed as a writer online, you should …
- Be clear about your strong points,
- Be ready to give what you’ve promised,
- Be open about your experience, interests, etc.
- Use the chance to understand your weak points and be ready to work on them.
6) Use a Variety of Content Lengths
A variety of content lengths ensures your content is suited to a variety of your audience’s interests and lifestyles. It serves by offering an appropriate length to both those scrolling through Instagram and those looking for a good article on Facebook to read in the evening.
This approach to social media content also enables the creation of a funnel in case you have merch or courses to sell.
8) Communicate TO and WITH Your Following
The content you create and post communicates to your audience. However, communicating with the audience can go a long way too.
Being available and engaging in the comments section and reviews (even bad reviews) is also very important. To save time, you can use solutions such as Buffer, Hootsuite or Zapier which have all the comments to reply to in a single place.
9) Show ‘Behind the Scenes’
It is important to show what your job actually looks like. You can do this literally, showing your following video or pictures of you hard at work. Alternatively, you can describe your creative process. Include instructions, a personal anecdote, or even jokes.
Final Considerations
Successful writers know the power of building their following. Being present on social media can increase your reach, your pricing and offer you a variety of clients to work with. What’s not to like??
So get out there, enjoy yourself and create that strong social online presence. Your following will come.
Good Luck!
BIO: A writer and editor at GrabMyEssay, Jessica works on her writing daily to ensure her skills stay top-notch. She sees writing as a form of communication that can educate and help bridge gaps in knowledge and understanding. Having an occasional episode of a lack of inspiration, she works to compensate for this by strong discipline and consistency – and her magic formula seems to do wonders.