Social Media Tip for Authors #4: What Are Your Big Picture Goals?
What's your big picture goal?
Welcome to my Social Media for Author Tip Series, where I offer you tips to put into practice so that you can:
- Connect with your readers and get to know them
- Let them get to know you
- Build your network
- Contribute to your tribe!
- Be of service
- Create your author platform
So you can sell more books!
Social media is: Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, MySpace, other specialized online networks like Yahoo Groups, Forums, YouTube, etc.
Today’s Tip #4:What Are Your Big Picture Goals?
I’m a macro kind of gal. I like to know the why of things. I like to get the lay of the land. I like understand my purpose behind it all of this social media stuff.
I recognize that not everyone thinks that way, not everyone is a “why” person. You may be a “how” or “what if” person. But that’s for another post.
Many authors just jump on the social media bandwagon with a sense of panic — “Oh! No! Everybody is doing it! I don’t want to get left behind.” Or: “I guess I HAVE to…” Dragging their heels. or how about: “Why do I have to market myself? My publisher/another person is supposed to do that stuff for me.”
Actually guys, fellow authors, marketing through social media or any other channel, is here to stay. It’s for us to make peace with marketing our books and make it work for our schedules, make it mesh with our strengths, and make marketing of our books just one more wonderful skill set we’ve acquired.
If you just ask yourself some key questions, then you’ll have a clear sense of your big picture goals: what is your goal as an author and why is that goal important to you. Then the “how” will become clear.
Key Questions
- In 5 years, what would you like to say you’ve accomplished as an author?
- What will having that do for you?
- How will you know when you have what you’d like to accomplish?
- How much time would you like to spend on your marketing?
- Do you want to write to promote?
- Do you like to chat on the social networks?
Take 10-15 minutes to answer these questions and paint a big picture for your author career. Actually write down your answers. Studies show that people who write down their goals are more likely to accomplish them than those who don’t.
And if you’re curious to learn more about getting in action around social media, check out my new course Social Media for Fiction Authors starting June 20th!
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I’m doing a countdown for my 10 Social Media Tips for Authors. Previous posts in the series:
