Writers need to build a strong platform to help with marketing of their book(s) and to connect with readers, editors, publishers, and fellow writers. In the past, I've participated in the Picture Book Marathon by Jean Reagan and Lora Kochler, the Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) by Tara Lazar, and am currently participating in the 12 x 12 in 2012 by Julie Hedlund.
The Platform Challenge is, by far, the most exciting and demanding challenge yet. I’ve managed to carve out time out of my busy schedule to write. But now the Platform challenge is presenting me with the difficult task of squeezing in time for social networking.
Throughout the month of April, Robert posts a new task for writers to complete on that day. Each task is a hands-on approach to building our platform. These tasks are little steps that are fun and doable for the day, but if you look at the overall picture, it can be overwhelming. It is for me.
I am linked to Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, Blogger, Jacketflap, and Good Reads, to connect with people in the writing industry. I thought I got a handle on things by dedicating a day to each social media account. For example: Facebook Friday, Twitter Tuesday, Commenting (on blogs) Mondays, etc. But Robert pointed out the importance of checking in and spreading activity out during the course of a day, because not everyone is on at the same time. This posed the biggest challenge for me. I really have to learn to juggle my time with just social networking alone.
Robert wrote about, How to Handle Social Media, on his blog. He suggested creating a list for each day, and after completing a task, devoting 15 minutes to check social media accounts. Everyday, I have a pretty long to-do list. So I know that 15 minutes will add up to easily over 2 hours of additional computer time to my already full day. I need to find an easier way to handle this.
I want to know what is your strategy for managing social media? Please comment below.
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Challenges to try:
Picture Book Marathon
Picture Book Idea Month
12 x 12 in 2012
Platform Challenge
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Other Related link(s):
The 80/20 Rule of Spending Time on Social Media
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Wow! Who knew there were so many challenges! These other ones you mentioned sound interesting. I have to go check them out. Good for you for keeping your plate (or paper) full. :-)
ReplyDeleteI use Tweetdeck. That way, in one place, I can handle Twitter, FB, and LinkedIn. I also check into Pinterest at night. I haven't used Jacketflap or Goodreads to their full potential yet ... so we'll see.
ReplyDeleteI hear people recommending Tweetdeck, but for some reason I've been ignoring it. I think it's time I check it out. Thanks.
DeleteBlogging is full of platforming ideas. Every time I participate in a blogfest I meet tons of awesome people and get more followers. I know I should do more, but right now I'm just trying to finish editing which has been a real challenge for me. I recently heard of Tweetdeck for managing social media - that might be ideal. (P.S. are you going to add a follower button?)
ReplyDeleteOkay, just added a follower button. Just for you :o)
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