I was on a writer’s forum a couple of days ago and I saw a question about using Twitter to promote an author’s book. Before I answered the question, I checked his Twitter profile. Big surprise. A new Twitter user with a couple of tweets, no followers and following no one.
Bad news. It’s too late to start using social media when your book is published. You need to build the following before you need it.
I started blogging and tweeting last year. I was still working on the book, and I wanted to build the following in advance of needing it. Now I have lots of people asking me how the book is going and when it will be for sale.
That’s what you want. A good social media promotional campaign needs to happen in advance. Build the buzz ahead of time so launch day (whether for a book, a new product or job search), and you’ll get a lot of excitement. Wait until the launch happens, and you’ll hear crickets chirping.
It’s more than building the buzz in advance. We see through you. If you build the relationships before you need them, and do it well, you’ll be “banking” good will. Then when you need to withdraw (by asking for help), we’ll help you. If you wait until you need it and then start promoting, we’ll know you only joined to push your product. Fewer people will help you then.
Remember, social media is first about building relationships. You wouldn’t walk up to a total stranger and ask for money, right? Why assume you can do on social media what you wouldn’t do in person?
