Social Media for Writers in 2019

social media for writers

Like it or not, we’re living in a hyper-connected, technology-driven era. The internet has changed the face of the world as we know it, with more than 5 billion people having social media accounts of some kind and many checking and updating their social media feeds on sites like Twitter and Facebook every single day.

Social media started as a way for friends and colleagues to keep in touch with one another online, but it’s grown and evolved into something so much more. Now, even big brands have social media presences and no business can really survive without one, and the same applies for solo professionals and creatives, like writers.

Whether you’re writing poetry, fiction, non-fiction, plays, screenplays, or something else altogether, having some kind of online presence is essential, and social media sites can vastly increase your chances of building up an audience, making the right kinds of contacts, and getting deals with agents and publishers too.

Any experienced writer will know only too well how competitive the world of publishing can be; writing is a very tricky business to really break into, so you have to use every single tool and resource at your disposal if you want to make it.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top social media platforms that can help writers succeed.

Facebook for writers

The biggest social media site of all, Facebook is a global phenomenon and can be a major help for any budding writer. Regardless of what kind of content you’re writing, Facebook can help out in a lot of different ways, helping you find an audience, connect and engage with your readers, grow your feeling, and even join Facebook clubs and groups to talk to other writers, exchanging ideas and advice.

One of the best ways to make the most of Facebook as a writer is through the power of Facebook ads. For a small fee, you can pay to have an advert shown to other Facebook users, linking them to your personal site or blog and gaining interest in your writing. It doesn’t always generate huge numbers of views, but if you get the right people clicking, it can open a lot of doors and build up your fanbase.

Instagram for writers

Instagram is all about the sharing of photos, memes, and images, so it might not seem like the perfect place for someone creating written content, but if you’re willing to go ‘multi-media’ in your approach and take some photos to accompany your words, it can be a super site for building up your profile and finding new readers. 

A lot of book lovers make use of Instagram each and every day, especially to share things like poetry and short stories, and the key to making the most of this site is to make clever use of hashtags. Adding the right hashtags with phrases like books, stories, bookstagram, writing, trust my paper, reading, and others can really help to get your posts viewed by people who love to write and read too.

Twitter for writers

It almost seems impossible for anyone to cope without a Twitter account nowadays, and many people rely on this simple site for everything from learning about daily news and current political events to keeping up with their friends’ lives and discovering new writers to follow and learn about too. A lot of writers make use of Twitter to build up an audience, and it can be a lot of fun for writers to share their thoughts, daily writing updates, and more in little bite-size tweets. 

All you need is for one of your tweets to start getting shared and liked lots of times and you’ll suddenly have hundreds or thousands of people all over your page, seeing links to your work and learning about what you do. Once again, just like with Instagram, a big part of being successful on Twitter is using hashtags, tagging other users, and being insightful and unique in what you write and share.

YouTube for writers

You might not think of YouTube as a social media site in the traditional sense, and it certainly doesn’t function in the same way as something like Twitter or Facebook, but it is increasingly being regarded as a great place for people to make friends, establish new contacts, and share what they’re doing with the world – all great things for a writer.

People love video content nowadays, and there are so many different ways you can make videos work for you and your writing. You can keep things simple and do regular vlogs to let people know what you’re writing about or how work on your latest story is going, or you can go further and do live readings, author interviews, Q&A sessions, and more. Even highly established authors like John Green have started their own YouTube channels to connect with fans.

Conclusion

As a writer, you have to use any opportunity you can to get eyes on your work and raise your profile, and it can make such a big difference when you take the time to trust in the power of social media. Any of the big networks can help you get more readers and followers, and the top tip, no matter which option you choose, is to be friendly and honest, engaging with your fans when you can and staying active and present to keep people interested.

Author Bio

Susan Saurel is a full-time digital marketer and a part-time blog writer at essay writing service. Susan lives in Houston, Texas, but she spends most of her spare time traveling around the globe and meeting new people and cultures. As a passionate marketer, Susan is eager to share the professional experience with her readers.