One of my marketing clients came right out with the TRUTH recently: “I hate social media,” she said. “I don’t even know where to start, what to post, and the whole thing just gives me stomach cramps.”
Writer, does this sound like you? Then take a DEEP BREATH. In this blog, you’ll get a quickstart guide for building your author platform to stop feeling like you’re wasting your time or hating your virtual life :X.
Step One: Overcome Blank-Page Syndrome with Content Pillars
The number-one barrier that stalls out folks’ social media success is not even knowing what to post. Sound familiar? Don’t freak out! There is a simple hack to overcome the dread of creating content from scratch.
In marketing, we call these content-generating miracles “content pillars” or buckets. Here’s how to create them:
- Think about what your author’s “brand” stands for.
- Figure out what your audience would like to see.
- Then, brainstorm 3-6 categories that describe your content.
For example, I am a YA fantasy writer, an MFA candidate, and a volunteer for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). A lot of my followers are #bookstagrammers and reviewers who love to read the same things I do.
So, for example, here are my content pillars:
- Books! Books I’ve read, reviews of books, and books I want to read, especially in the YA and fantasy genres.
- Updates about how my MFA program is going.
- Updates about my writing life, including any published work and NaNoWriMo news.
- LGBTQ+ related content (since I’m a queer author and a huge proponent of having more LGBTQ+ books for young folks).
- Going to writer events, such as conferences, classes, and readings, or even visiting the library or the bookstore.
- Small examples of my work including video readings.
That’s pretty much my entire social media feed, besides the occasional picture of a flower. When I’m stumped for content, I think about my pillars and ask myself:
- Have I just checked out a cool book from the library? (Probably.)
- Have I read something interesting? (Always!)
- How’s my writing going? (The good, the bad, the ugly.)
I can look at my pillars, and instantly, my brain has fun content ideas. It’s much better than staring at a blank wall!
Step Two: Think About Your Audience
So now that you have a map of what kind of content you could make, here’s the tricky part: How can you make that content relevant to your audiences’ interests? If you’re like me, you are probably building a following of writers and readers, so chances are that a standard book review will be clutch.
Next, you’ll want to change up your post format to keep it interesting. Have you posted a lot of still images lately? Try a video next time or even a carousel of images if you’re on Instagram. Have a lot of photos of books? (I know I do.) Change it up and include your smiling face in your next image, or even do a video review. Your followers want to see you and feel like they have a personal connection.
Lastly, you’ll want to use relevant hashtags if you’re on a social network like Instagram to attract a wider audience. See my last article, The Top 3 Simple Instagram Tips for Writers [Quickstart Guide], for more about hashtags!
Step Three: Create an Editorial Calendar
Finally, you’ll want to be consistent. Make a game plan to post on the same day at the same time at least once a week (I like Wednesdays at 11 AM). And to keep yourself on track, make an editorial calendar.
It sounds fancy, but an editorial calendar is really just a way for you to make a plan and stick to it. You can create a Google calendar or a spreadsheet, ink up a good old-fashioned paper calendar, or use a third-party app (I like Later.com) to schedule your posts. But plan and schedule you must!
Why? Because having a schedule makes you way more efficient and keeps you on the ball:
- You can batch your work, which saves a TON of time. With a calendar, you can plan out your content a month ahead. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to sit down for one hour at the beginning of the month and bang out all of your content than to stare at a blank screen the day you are supposed to post and think, now what?
- A calendar will keep you on track. You can see your empty slots and create content with time to spare. You could even develop a monthly theme and make a fun series. Most of all, a calendar will ensure you hit your goals and post when you say you will!
- Planning improves quality. When you’re not harried, you can focus on creating stellar content. You can even plan in time to let your content sit so you can come back to it fresh and revise more effectively (and find all those little typo gremlins).
- Finally, if you are part of a team that manages the same profile, a calendar will help you all to stay on the same page.
For example, this is what I do:
Throughout the month, I’ll snap pictures with my phone about any writer-ly or readerly activity I’m doing, including books read, writing events enjoyed, or even just visiting my local book store and snapping a photo of the latest display.
Then, when it is time to make content at the end of the month? I’ll collect all those juicy pictures and dump them into my scheduling app, Later. After that, it’s a cinch to drag and drop those photos into my calendar, write captions, add hashtags, and viola! My social media is done for an entire month. Easy peasy.
Conclusion: It’s As Easy as 1, 2, 3…
Writer, you know how to write! Producing social media content is just an extension of your awesome talents. Here are the three keys to success:
- Defeat Social-Media Writers Block with Content Pillars: Having content categories makes it easy to cook up good posts.
- Think About Your Audience: Post content your audience will want to see—including photos of you! And remember to change up your format (use a variety of images, videos, reels, and carousels). Lastly, don’t forget your hashtags.
- Editorial Calendars Are Your Friend: Make a simple system (complete with handy reminders if you need them!) to help you generate, plan, and schedule content.
Huzzah! Now you have everything you need to be a social media pro. And if you have any questions? Drop me a line on Insta @RachelTeferet.
Rachel Teferet (lettersandfeathers.wordpress.com) is a marketing copywriter, novelist, and poet, and is an MFA candidate at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their work has been published by Subprimal Poetry Art, Zoetic Press’ NonBinary Review, and more.You can follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
