Any Tweet Can Happen and Tumble Your Earnings!

In the ever-rocking waves of the Twitter-verse, a now-deleted Tweet may have given many a writer severe agita.

Several news channels reported the following decision, made during the hectic "who-knows-what's happening next at twitter" days in December 2022:

“Twitter will no longer allow users to promote their presence on certain social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr, and Post. In a post outlining these changes, Twitter says it will take action against users that violate this policy “at both the Tweet level and the account level.”

Although the Tweet has been deleted and the decision rescinded, for now, the implications of losing this outlet for authors has been raised. How would your exposure, reach, and earnings be impacted if you lost social media as a way to spread your content?

What Would This Mean to You?

• Are you prepared to lose one- or more- of the social media outlets you use to promote your writing?
• Would losing Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and/or LinkedIn reduce reader access to your works?
• Would your income be reduced? If so, how much? What would that mean to you as a writer and creator?
• Do you know how to prepare?
• What steps can you and should you take right NOW?

Promotion Ideas

There was self-promotion before social media, and there will continue to be be self-promotion as long as there are creators- no matter how social media may evolve.

Here are some methods to add to your tool kit of self-promotion.

1. SEO (search engine optimization). Make sure you have the best title, key words, and follow all savvy editing practices to draw the seekers of content to your writing. There are many free tools to help with choosing a great title, and it makes sense to get that first impression tweaked as effectively as possible. This Resource from Vocal has several tools about which you should know
2. Email marketing. Encourage your readers to sign up for an email when your latest content goes live. Take the time to export your email list for your records.
3. Newsletters. Several platforms have a built-in newsletter option, the latest of which is available through LinkedIn. If you are a Medium writer you can start your own publication, which gives you the option of sending a newsletter to subscribers as often as you like. Medium is easy to join and the ability to create a publication is part of membership at no extra cost. It’s affordable, too, at just $5 a month, or get 12 months for $50! If you use this link I’ll receive a small thank you from Medium.
4. Podcasts. Several platforms, classes, and books… and yes; also podcasts, can help you create your own devoted listening fan base. There’s a reason authors appear on radio shows and podcasts: listeners want to find out more and they seek out their written works, too.
5. YouTube videos: Some content just seems made for YouTube: instructional, edutainment, photography. But don’t turn your back on a video of you reading your work! In fact, maximize the time you spend creating a YouTube video and embed it in your Vocal article.
6. In-person networking. Maximize your work by offering to be a speaker. You can start at local groups, contact podcasts and extend your talent for their listeners, school groups and local clubs, and even local public TV too.
7. Join Toastmasters to polish your skills at presenting all speaking formats to any audience- even for television.

Takeaways

• The best time to prepare is before a crisis.
• Even if nothing changes you will have new skills and outlets for your work.
• There is more to self-promotion than just social media.
• And, just as important a point- If you AREN'T using social media to promote your work now: you are leaving money on the table!

This terrific article by Kerry Campion goes into great detail on these and other ideas for self-promotion. I highly recommend you read, share, and use this information.

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You can also find me on Medium, where I first posted a version of this article.