Unfortunately, there are still many authors struggling to understand social media and to figure out if it is worth their attention. Some of these authors are close to figuring out how to make social media work for them and all they need is a nudge in the right direction. It is a proven fact that social media is an ideal tool for authors. In fact, if it was not already being used for countless other reasons, one would argue that social media was created for authors.

One of an author’s first priorities is to get the public to discover his book. There is no easier way to do this than to use social media. In addition to getting the word out, social media also enables authors to create audiences of potential readers. Social media enables authors to reach their audience directly, unlike many other forms of marketing.

The following are some of the steps that authors should take to make social media work for them.

Start with a blog: An author is supposed to start a blog when he is in the process of writing a book. He should write at least two new posts a week and share them with his followers in social networks to build their anticipation.

Use compelling titles: The best way to grab peoples’ attention is to use titles that compel people to want to read more.

Use all social media sites frequently: There are four main social media networks that authors can use to advance their writing: Goodreads, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. An author should make sure that he has a presence on all these sites.

Manage time by pre-scheduling posts: Content to post on social media websites is not always easy to produce on demand. Therefore, an author can make extra posts when he can and schedule them to be posted to social media sites on specified dates and times.

Check on your networks several times daily: Whenever an author has some time to spare; he should go round his social media sites and check what is happening. He just needs to reply to some comments and to appear active to his followers. The author’s main goal should be to serve and interact with the audience.

Use Tweetdeck to monitor Twitter: Twitter should be the primary focus of most authors. However, it is sometimes difficult to keep track of everything that is going on regarding your posts hence the recommendation for automated monitoring and management of your Twitter account. This is not mandatory since any author can personally manage his posts.

Monitor website traffic: If you are an author and have a website, you should install Google Analytics to help you monitor your website’s traffic. It is free of charge and you can use it to evaluate how your recent attempt to storm social media networks has helped your traffic.

Embrace social media: As an author you should fully embrace social media as a way to talk with your audience. It is not as time consuming as many people thinks because half an hour per day is enough to manage your social media presence.