The Necessity That Is Social Media.

When I was a kid with dreams of becoming an author, I always romanticized it. Days spent scribbling away with papers strewn about while music playing softly in the background. I never thought about the publishing aspect until later, but when the time came, I looked at my options, deciding to try self-publishing. With my research and hearing other indie authors' experiences, I soon realized the power of social media.

For us indie writers, social media has become as necessary to writing as the words we write on the page, helping to expose our stories and poetry to their proper audience. Even for us here on Vocal, we not only rely on Vocal itself, but also Facebook Groups and Discord to help spread the word not only for ourselves but others too.

Now, I would wisely still consider myself a novice in the social media aspect of being an indie author/poet. Honestly, I tend to not do so well when it comes to social media, but I'm not trying to become a well-known author. I don't ever want to risk losing joy when it comes to my writing, so I decided it wouldn't become a full-time career, more of a paying hobby.

Anyways, back to the point.

Even though I am far from a professional, there are still some lessons I've learned along the way and I would like to share them with everyone.

1. Create a schedule even if you are not planning on making writing your full-time career. This is something I am still struggling with, but hope to improve with the coming weeks. It doesn't have to complicated; it can be as simple as posting something once a week. Having that schedule can keep you accountable and lessen some of the stress.

2. If it is too good to be true, it's probably a scam. An old adage, but still applies today, more so when it comes to the internet. Make sure you completely research every offer before agreeing. Get all the details, including how much money would be involved. It will save you from falling into a rabbit hole of regret and lost savings.

3. Look up social media specialists and influencers to learn some free tips. Start with Youtube and TikTok for videos of ways to set up different posts to grab people's attention. Look up some of your favorite influencers to see what kind of things you like for what you are trying to accomplish.

4. Know who you are and what you want before you get started. What type of message do you want to convey with your social media? Figure that out before your first post. Without a clear idea of that, you could run the risk of losing some your audience because you keep bouncing around with the type of material you post.

5. Go for loyalty and not quantity. Be patient; it is better to have an audience who will stick with you through thick and thin than millions of followers. One content creating couple (can't remember their names) talked about how this thought linked to the type of material you put out.

It is better to make content you can be proud of and lose some followers than to do everything you can to gain followers. It shows who your true audience is and leaves you with a guilt-free conscience toward your work.

On that note, I would like to make you guys aware I have recently created an Instagram page. There aren't any posts yet, but am hoping to do so in the next week. Links to all my social media will be on my profile.

How about you? What advice would you give to writers in regard to social media? I know I'm going to need all the help I get and I'm sure others will too.