By Kara M. Zone
Of all the things you can do online, your social media presence is, perhaps, the most important aspect of them all!
When you think about social media, you may have a very specific idea of what it is. Most people use it for personal reasons—perhaps they post pictures of food, themselves, or something crazy that happened to them.
If you’re like me, you may not have a unique social media presence. But, if you’re trying to succeed as a writer, editor, or in any creative industry—having a social media presence is crucial for building a following, connecting with readers, developing your brand, finding like-minded people, and promoting new products or services.
The term “brand,” as a marketing concept, generally refers to how well you connect with the needs and interests of your target audience.
If you are a writer or editor and don’t think you need a brand, you have come to the right place. Please hear me out…
Branding is one of those things you may not think about, but it’s important to get your messages across. Many writers find jobs on Twitter, network on LinkedIn, discuss their thoughts and ideas on various websites, and connect with other writers, editors, and agents on Instagram.
If you are an old hat when it comes to social media, you’ve probably got a pretty good idea of how to use hashtags and what platforms are your favorite.
If not, it’s time to do some research. As much as you may not want to do social media, once you build up a following and create connections, you’ll have a fantastic chance to get your voice heard—which is one of the hardest things to do online!
How to Improve Your Social Media Presence (5 Helpful Tips)
1. Hashtags are a way to connect your articles, posts, and images together. They are important because they connect your posts to others with the same topics. When you connect your topics with others, you’re opening yourself up to be seen by people who are interested in what you’re writing.
2. Blog articles can serve as samples for your writing and editing. You’ll want a place where you can send people samples of your work. Having a blog, posting on Medium, or creating a Substack are great ways to attract people to your interests and enable them see how incredibly talented you are.
3. Scheduling posts is a great way to keep followers engaged. Many people like to fly off the cuff, and some of their posts appear candid, but they rarely are. Good blog posts require research and thought to get the right people to see the right things. It also takes a while to build up your footprint, so having something in a social media bank—at least a week out, is a great way to keep yourself motivated to continue posting.
4. Most platforms will schedule posts for you. If you have a problem organizing a schedule, there are plenty of helpful tools you can use, from Facebook to Canva, the resources are available. You’ll have to spend a minimum amount of time adding posts, but having that safety net if you’re not feeling like posting that day or if you forget can be a true lifesaver.
5. If you don’t know what to post, check out some people you respect in your industry. See how they do things—do not copy their ideas verbatim—but when you know what is popular in your field, you’ll be able to hone your brand toward what you want and build your creativity even more.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to your social media presence, the ideas we’ve presented here are an excellent place to start. The key is patience and consistency—creating the voice you’re trying to match will take some time. Research, networking, and being genuine are the key ideas to keep in mind.
Stay determined and build a great persona online. You’ll start to see the benefits kick in before you know it, and with remarkable results.