In Using Twitter to build a readership – Part One, we talked about the importance of using Twitter as part of an authors social marketing plan. In Part Two, we discussed the importance of having a blog or website to link to, and the 80/20 Plan of tweeting, to insure that you are a valuable to your readers.
In Part Three, we discussed some tips and tricks to finding targeted followers, getting them to follow you, and keeping them long-term.
In this final post on using Twitter to build a readership, let’s look at what is probably the most important element to developing a long-term following, and turning those followers into customers. Being an expert!
Being an expert
I’ve found that the guys (and gals) who have the most targeted followers are folks who are “experts” in a given field. If you’re a movie star, you can skip this section (in fact, please do. Nothing more annoying that a movie star with an opinion) but, if you’re not, you need to become an expert in your field. You’ll have hundreds, then thousands of followers handing out your virtual business card for you, every time you tweet.
How do you become an expert?
Answer questions. If you can’t find any questions out there, make up your own questions and answer them! Post a survey on your blog and then tweet the results. Follow other experts in your field, read their blog posts and websites carefully (and remember to Re-Tweet!) and then post your own thoughts and opinions on what they are sharing.
Never pass up the opportunity to answer a question! If you don’t know the answer, go find it! Google, Wikipedia, WhatIs.com…the number of informational sites available to us online is endless. Cite your resources in your answer and offer links to blogs or websites where you found the answer.
Not only is the polite, it’s good social Karma.
Offer a better, easier, or cheaper way of doing whatever it is you do, and people will follow you. eHow is a great place for this, find some folks posting How-To articles in your field, and subscribe to them. Always re-tweet a valuable eHow article, those writers get paid per visit, so it’s a nice way to say thanks!
Don’t forget that you’re hooking up with a lot of other Twitter experts in your nitch as well. This is like getting free classes in your area of expertise! I’m constantly gleaning new facts and the latest news on my areas of interest, as I’m trying to give the same back.
And, yes…I’ve bought many books because I found value in the content that their authors gave me for free.
In conclusion
The real goldmine of Twitter is that it is the essence of word-of-mouth marketing. That helpful link I posted to the article (on my blog) can get passed along to thousands, or ten-of-thousands of followers on other lists, resulting in massive numbers of visits to my site, new followers, and, of course, views of my books or products.
If you want to build a serious readership, a network of expertise, and maybe even make a few new friends…tweet.
PS – If you enjoyed this series of articles, please consider subscribing to my page. One of the factors that Examiner uses to pay for my writing is number of subscribers, so if you like what I write…you can give me a raise!
Here’s the whole series: Using Twitter to build a readership – Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four. (Thanks @LynetteBenton)
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Novelist, blogger, and award winning travel writer, Perry P. Perkins is a stay-at-home dad who lives with his wife Victoria and their two-year-old daughter Grace, in the Pacific Northwest. Perry has written for hundreds of magazines including Writer's Digest and Guideposts. His inspirational stories have been included in twelve Chicken Soup anthologies, as well.
His books include the novels Just Past Oysterville, and Shoalwater Voices, and his new humor collection, Elk Hunters Don't Cry. Perry is the Portland Writing Examiner, and you can read more of his work at PerryPerkinsBooks, and on twitter at: http://twitter.com/PerksBooks
Perry's books are available at Amazon.com
Comments
Thanks for that. I'll be reading it very soon. I believe that you have to be connected using the internet tools. I myself have a web site, a facebook page and have sign-up for many different writing sites. However, like on WeBook, I only post a chapter or two. So afraid someone will steal my work. :-(
Anyway, I'm sure I'll get something new or something I didn't think about. Internet is a great way to build your platform. I've spent the day reading sample query letters and about 'platforms' that my head is spinning....but it's all worth it!!
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