Whether or not an author uses social media, it still remains a vital tool for authors to personally communicate with their readers. Any author who wants to use social media should have a well laid-out plan in order to be highly successful. The following are some of the things that authors should think about when creating strategies for their social media presence.

Have a set of objectives

One of the most important components of a social media strategy is clearly defined objectives. An author should define exactly what s/he wants to achieve after becoming more involved in social media. Without objectives, an author can spend hours online and fail to accomplish anything. Some of the reasons for wanting a social media presence include: creating exposure for a business, networking with fellow business people, reaching new customers, interacting with existing customers, gathering feedback for books, and launching new services.

Carefully select social networks

There are so many social media networks and choosing the ones to use can be confusing. Whether or not an author is new to the social networking scene, he must choose a few sites and stick to them. The important thing is not the author’s preferences for social networks. He must choose the social networks that are best for authors. Every social media network has areas where it shines and others where it doesn’t do so well. For instance, LinkedIn is great for creating business connections but it is not a good place to post photos as a hobby – that would be better left to Pinterest. Authors who want to interact with their readers should stick to Twitter and Google+. However, other sites can be used for other reasons.

Having a complete profile

There are several elements that must be present in any profile. Some of the most important elements of a profile include: the author’s full name, genre of his books, a picture, and a website. An author should make sure that he uses a name that people can identify. In his profile, an author should name the genre of books he writes so that he can get the right type of followers. A profile picture should be the author’s real photo. Authors should avoid using pictures (such as their dogs) that don’t help people to identify them. An author can also add a link to his personal website or book website.

Engaging the audience

An author must make sure that he talks to his audience on social media. Social media websites are great for authors to personally connect with their readers and get instant feedback about their questions. For instance, an author can use social media sites to explain to readers why he decided to develop a story in a certain way.

Time management

It is easy to get lost in social media and to spend too much time there. Even worse, an author can spend too much time doing other things than promoting his book. To avoid this, an author should dedicate a certain amount of time to social media activities. He should split the available time between the different sites and should also have a plan about what he will do at which site and for how long.