Twitter and Pinterest are the places to be as an author. Twitter is perfect for sharing opinions and gathering fans, and easily connecting with people in your niche, both writers and readers. It is popular among writers, most of whom prefer it to other platforms. Pinterest is also a haven for consumers looking for creative ideas and products to purchase. The platform allows you to create your themed virtual corkboards and promote your brand to fans who want to buy books. Most of its users come there to get creative, visual ideas on what to purchase. This article shows you how to promote your brand as an author on these platforms.

Tips for authors on Twitter

Twitter is the only social media platform to prioritize text over visuals, making it a great marketing tool for writers. Twitter is a place for writers to share thoughts about everything, from tweets about their creative niche to those about trending events and topics. Here are ways to make the most of the platform:

1. Take part in writing and author trends. Check out hashtags like #amwriting and #writingcommunity to see what other writers are doing. Also, take part in fun author trends and follow the #pitchwars action each summer. 

2. Get involved in other topics. While it helps to specialize on some platforms, Twitter is not one of them. Here, you can hop in and out of different trends and spheres. It doesn't mean you should post disparate or inappropriate things. But you can talk about pop culture, the news and even politics as you want to.

3. Post cover reveals and sneak peeks. You can create enough buzz around your next release on Twitter. Your followers can engage and share tweets that display your book cover and sneak peeks of your next book. And you can also tweet links to pre-order or purchase your book. 

4. Tweet, retweet, and tweet again. Dialogue is everything on Twitter. So, reply to other people’s tweets, compliment their work, civilly challenge contrary opinions, and encourage your followers to engage with you. Also, you can tweet polls and other catchy content.

Tips for authors on Pinterest

Pinterest allows authors to create visual content for users with high purchasing power and a willingness to buy. Here, you're not under pressure to engage users constantly. It’s an excellent platform for bringing your vision to life, choosing from a sea of possibilities. Here are tips to help you make the most of Pinterest as an author:

1. Get a business account. It’s free to change your regular Pinterest account to a business account, which provides many functions like analytics, ad management, and more. This account allows you to have a cover photo and doesn't stop you from using Pinterest casually.

2. Use Rich Pins for products and articles. Rich Pins are Pins with data attached that leads to an external page, like your blog post or the sales page for your book. They allow you to preview content you’ve posted elsewhere, and you can use them to promote your free and discounted books.

3. Check your inbox regularly. The beauty of Pinterest is that it doesn't demand so much of your time and engagement. But you should check your Pinbox at least once a week to see users who message you and send you pins.

4. Explore the platform. As an author on Pinterest, you can experiment with different Pins and don’t shy away from adding new content to your boards. You can save pins you like and engage with other users to understand more about the platform.