Are you posting and posting to social media and getting a whole lot of nothing in return?
Do you ever wonder why some people get so many likes, comments and shares on social media while you get just crickets?
Is it you? Your audience? The algorithm?
My question for you is: ARE YOU ASKING?
If you want social media engagement, you have to ask for what you want.
Author and book launch maven Anna LeBaron is a pro when it comes to asking for — and getting — what she wants on social media. How? She understands how people behave online and what motivates them to act.
She’s been asking for what she wants since she launched her first book, The Polygamist’s Daughter, back in 2017. The result? She has close to 800 reviews on Amazon, 1,200 on Goodreads, and more than 600 on Audible. She also has 28,900 followers on TikTok (more than all other social media channels combined), but you have to watch the video above to find out more about that.
And if the results she’s gotten for herself don’t impress you, take a look at the books she’s launched. Maybe you’ve heard of Jen Hatmaker, Bob Goff, Rachel Hollis and Max Lucado…or Gary Sinise, John Maxwell and Rachel Held Evans? Anna has launched their books into the stratosphere.
If anyone understands how to get the engagement you need on social media, it’s Anna.
[socialrocket-tweet quote=”If there’s a book everyone you know is reading and going gaga over, Anna LeBaron has launched it.” tweet=”If there’s a book everyone you know is reading and going gaga over, @annaklebaron has launched it. #suitupshowupspeakup” style_id=”default”]
Anna’s secret to asking for what you want and getting it on social media can be summarized in the following five steps:
Ask for what you want (or need)
Assume generosity
Follow the Golden Rule
Give more than you take
Honor your limits
#1 Ask for What You Want (or Need)
People can’t help you if they don’t know how. So the first step to getting what you want on social media is to ask for it. Ask for what you want or need, and tell people why it matters — how will it help you?
Then let them decide whether they’ll consider it.
#2 Assume Generosity
If people follow you, they want to help you — Anna believes that to her core. By not asking for what you want, you rob them from the opportunity to offer you that help. Instead of worrying about appearing needy or annoying, assume that you attract social media followers with generous hearts and spirits.
#3 Follow the Golden Rule
The Golden Rule we all learned in school applies in social media as well: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
You attract great followers by being a great follower. If you want to grow your Facebook followers, you need to be the best follower you know on Facebook. That’s the Golden Rule. Be the kind of follower you wish you had.
#4 Give More Than You Take
Anna has a perfect formula for the mix of give-and-take required for social media success: Serve + Serve + Serve + Serve + Sell. Simply put, you give four times more often than you ask. That’s how you get a reputation for generosity and how you attract and retain generous followers.
#5 Honor Your Limits
With all this talk of generosity and being an excellent follower, you might think Anna wants everyone to spend 24/7 in service to others. On the contrary, her best advice is that you give when you can as you can. When a family needs a hot meal in tough times, some friends donate a meal and others donate money to buy takeout. Both have value and are deeply appreciated.
In the writing world, book sales and reviews are the pinnacle of support, but that’s not always true. If you’re not able to buy a book, you can still share about the book on social media. If you’re not able to share about a book on social media, you can recommend the author be interviewed on your favorite podcast or send the author an encouraging email.
Moving Forward
Getting what you want on social media isn’t as hard as you think. Like Anna says, it’s a matter of asking, giving more than you take and making sure to operate under positive intent. What will you ask for on social media today? And how do you plan to do it?
Anna’s Special TikTok Offer
Anna is a TikTok super-fan. It took her seven years to get 5,000 followers on Facebook. On TikTok, she crossed the 28,000-mark in just a few months. If you want to join her as an early-adopter and experience explosive growth on the newest social media channel, you’ll want to be at her upcoming TikTok workshop. Taking place on Friday, Sept. 11, at 11 a.m. Central Time, Anna will teach you the ins and outs of how (and WHY) to grow your social media using TikTok. Learn the right way to use TikTok right now. Register here: https://tonya.video/tiktok
How to Help Anna LeBaron
We can’t have a live show and article on asking for what you want if we don’t give Anna the opportunity to ask for what she wants. Since Anna is working to secure a second book contract, the best thing you can do is to help her grow her online platform by doing the following:
Buy The Polygamist’s Daughter in Anna’s Amazon store.
If you’ve read The Polygamist’s Daughter, consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads and on your social media profiles.
[socialrocket-tweet quote=”Followers aren’t numbers. They are real, live people.” tweet=”Followers aren’t numbers. They are real, live people.” style_id=”default”]
[socialrocket-tweet quote=”Book giveaways & contests can grow your social media audience — if you take a strategic approach.” tweet=”Book giveaways & contests can grow your social media audience — if you take a strategic approach.” style_id=”default”]
If you want to grow your social media audience, book giveaways and contests are important tactics to add to your marketing strategy.
Since we care more about connecting with the followers that count than counting followers around here, you might be surprised to see me suggest using book giveaways and contests to grow your social media audience.
Giveaways make strategic marketing sense, though, because book contests attract readers — and readers are the followers who count for you as an author. The best way to grow your online audience is to make yourself known to the people most likely to buy and read your books. Book giveaways accomplish that goal.
If you’re not a published author, you can still use this strategy to grow your social media audience but your contests and giveaways will look different.
If you have one or more books already published, however, these suggestions are all worth considering.
Set a Goal for Your Giveaway
There are two ways to grow your social media audience: Increase followers and increase engagement.
If you want to be strategic about your giveaway, you need to choose a goal. Though you could create a giveaway to increase both your followers and your engagement, it’s wiser to choose one target to track and measure and use to define your success.
Increasing your follower count is a vanity metric, but it’s a goal that makes sense if you’re close to an audience milestone, like trying to get to 10,000 followers to earn the coveted “swipe up” feature on Instagram.
Contests designed to increase follower counts will require participants to like or follow specific accounts to qualify for the prize. People who follow you to enter your giveaway are unlikely to be engaged followers, and they tend to unfollow you after the contest ends unless you develop a reputation for regularly hosting contests. If you don’t intend to give away stuff regularly, plan for the drop in followers and don’t take it personally.
Increasing your engagement is a goal that makes sense on any algorithm-driven social media platform because the activity helps the algorithm decide which users and types of users are most likely to appreciate and engage with your account. Increasing engagement also builds up excitement around your giveaway. Who doesn’t like to see a post with hundreds of comments? If that doesn’t motivate you to suit up and show up for your followers, I don’t know what will.
Though your engagement rate will naturally go down after a giveaway, you can often keep the interest of your followers if you regularly publish high-value content specific to the needs of your followers.
How to Make the Most of Your Book Giveaway or Contest
Anything worth doing is worth doing well, and that’s true for social media giveaways and contests. If you’re going to invest time and energy in creating a book giveaway, you’ll want to do everything within your power to make the giveaway successful.
Once you’ve chosen a goal for your giveaway it’s time to plan your contest. Your planning doesn’t have to be elaborate but there are a few key decisions to make at this stage:
Choose your channels
Specify your contest rules and prizes
Set your contest deadline
Promote your giveaway
Host your giveaway
Announce the winner(s)
Some of these decisions are quick to make and others require thought but the time you invest in the planning stage will pay off in both success and time saved later on by not having to make split decisions while your contest is underway.
Choose Your Social Media Channels
Where you host your contest influences what you can and can’t require of participants who want to enter your contest.
Facebook, for instance, doesn’t allow you to leverage the friend networks of participants for your contest. You cannot host a contest that requires participants to share posts or tag friends in a post to enter. You also can’t offer bonus entries for these behaviors. You can, however, require participants to like or follow your Page, comment on posts or sign up for your email list.
Twitter has rules banning contests that cause users to create fake accounts to enter more than once or flood the channel with the same tweet or almost the same tweet over and over again.
[socialrocket-tweet quote=”If you want to use a social media contest to promote your book, don’t over-complicate it. You can’t grow your audience if you make it too hard on people to enter.” tweet=”If you want to use a social media contest to promote your book, don’t over-complicate it. You can’t grow your audience if you make it too hard on people to enter.” style_id=”default”]
Specify Your Book Contest Rules and Prizes
Once you are clear on what you can and can’t do on the social media channel where you’re hosting your book giveaway, it’s time to set your contest rules and prizes.
Easy-to-follow, low-commitment contest requirements tend to have higher participation than ones with several steps. They may also attract entries from people who aren’t actually interested in what you have to offer. They might just want to get something for free.
At the same time, a complicated entry process with multiple steps might turn off even your most ideal reader if they get frustrated by jumping through hoops. The only way to know for certain what’s best for you is to test requirements over a series of giveaways to find out which requirements come closest to achieving your desired outcomes.
If you already know you’re hosting a book giveaway, picking prizes should be easy. However, it still makes sense to decide now whether you will have one winner or multiple winners and whether you’re giving away a single book or a book bundle.
Make sure your prize and your requirements align. A complicated entry process would need a high-value prize to entice participants, while a simple entry process leading to a simple prize is well received.
Set Your Book Giveaway or Contest Deadline
Deadlines create a sense of urgency, which is why every contest needs one. The duration of your contest, though, varies on where you’re hosting it. Goodreads, which charges authors to host book giveaways, recommends a 30-day contest period for maximum awareness and interest. Though you can choose any length of time you want, shorter contest periods tend to increase interest and participation on Instagram and Facebook.
Promote Your Giveaway
People can’t enter your giveaway if they don’t know it’s happening. Promoting your book giveaway is a step you can’t afford to skip, and cross-promotion is key. No matter where your giveaway is taking place, you should notify your email subscribers and your followers on every social media channel where you actively participate.
Amp up the energy when you’re promoting your giveaway. Make it exciting and no matter what your prize is, use language like it’s the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. Enthusiasm is contagious and if you’re enthusiastic about your contest, your audience will be as well.
Host Your Book Giveaway
When you’re ready to kick off your giveaway, make sure you have the time and resources necessary to support its success.
Giveaway contests are not a passive marketing tactic. You can’t launch a giveaway and go off the grid for the weekend. Every person who enters your book giveaway is a potential book buyer, email subscriber and social media super-fan. Treat them as such.
Respond to comments (ignore the spammy ones), thank participants for entering and answer questions daily during your contest period. Not only does this keep your entrants engaged throughout the contest period, it also amplifies your reach and keeps the contest top of mind for everyone involved.
Announce Your Winners
Once the contest ends, you’ll want to announce your winners. It’s important not to let too much time go by before announcing your winner. Remember, you want to keep everyone engaged as much as you can, and the momentum that comes from hosting a giveaway can be leveraged.
Announce your winners on the channel where the giveaway took place, and make sure to notify everyone you promoted the giveaway to that a winner has been selected. Instead of naming the winner in your off-channel announcements, direct people to the official announcement post.
There are free tools that make contest announcements fun for you and for participants. Wheel of Names is a site that puts participant names into a wheel you can spin to have the winner selected at random. Comment Picker is a tool that makes choosing winners from social media post comments easy. It doesn’t have the visual appeal of Wheel of Names if you’re sharing your screen to publicly broadcast the winner selection via live video, but it makes sense if you have a higher volume of entries. The video above shows the Wheel of Names in action on a book giveaway hosted on my Facebook page.
Measure Your Results
Once you’ve concluded your book giveaway and announced the winners, it’s time to assess the success of your contest. You don’t need fancy tools to track, measure and analyze your results.
What you need to know more than anything is the number of new followers you’ve gained during the contest period and the number of reactions, comments and shares on your contest post. All of that data is available within each social media channel.
Your first giveaway might not be a huge success, but remember every contest you host can serve as a data point to tell you what resonates with your ideal audience on each channel.
Wondering whether you should host giveaways and contests to grow your social media audience and promote your books? Borrow my brain for 20 minutes so we can explore whether giveaways should be incorporated into your marketing strategy. You can book your free session here.
[socialrocket-tweet quote=”Created specifically to attract book lovers, #Goodreads offers a wealth of benefits for writers in its author program.” tweet=”Created specifically to attract book lovers, #Goodreads offers a wealth of benefits for writers in its author program.” style_id=”default”]
To fully harness the power of Goodreads as a social media platform, you must make a Goodreads author page and learn to effectively use the author program.Not everyone qualifies to become a Goodreads author, but the bar is within reach for any author whose book has an ISBN.
Benefits of the Goodreads Author Program
Created specifically to attract book lovers, Goodreads offers a wealth of benefits for writers in its author program.As a Goodreads Author, you get:
Access to the Goodreads Author Dashboard — The dashboard centralizes your author resources so you can see your stats, account settings and marketing options in a single location.
Access to the Authors and Advertisers Blog and the monthly Goodreads Author newsletter — If you want to succeed on any social media platform, you have to go all-in on the tools offered by that platform. The blog and newsletter are how Goodreads helps authors make the most of their time on the social media platform.
Insights and advice on how to best connect with readers on the platform — Like any social media platform, Goodreads is a social network with its own rules of engagement. Learning how to best connect with readers on the platform will make the most of the time you invest on Goodreads.
Opportunities to participate in Goodreads contests and giveaways — Everyone loves a good giveaway, and book lovers are no different. As a Goodreads Author, you can get your book featured in Goodreads contests.
Advertising options within the platform — As with any marketing effort, paid advertising makes sense when you get a return on your investment. Advertising on Goodreads allows you to target people who are known book buyers, increasing the likelihood that your hands will result in sales.
The Goodreads Author Dashboard centralizes your author resources so you can see your account settings and marketing options on a single page.
Are You Eligible for the Goodreads Author Program?
Goodreads allows anyone who has published books or is in the process of publishing books to join its global author program.Authors with books for sale on Amazon.com or other booksellers will likely get their applications approved faster, but independently published authors can and should apply to the program as well.
How to Make a Goodreads Author Page
If your book is part of the Goodreads database, you will already have a Goodreads Author Page but it won’t actually be “yours” until you claim it.
How to Claim Your Book on Goodreads
Follow these simple steps to set up your Goodreads Author Page:
Create your Goodreads account. You can’t be present on the platform if you don’t have a profile, so your first step is to go to www.goodreads.com and set up your account today.
Find your books. Use the Goodreads search bar to search your name. Your published books should already be listed. If you don’t see your book in the database, you’ll need to add it. If you have trouble adding your book, you can ask for help in the Goodreads Librarians group.
Find yourself and claim your profile — If your book is in the Goodreads database, you can click your name to find your basic author profile page. The author profile page is separate from your member profile, and must be claimed before you can make any changes to it. One you find your basic author profile page, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Is this you? Let us know.” You’ll be directed to a request form to claim your account and join the Author Program. It takes a few days to confirm your application. You’ll be notified by email when your request is approved.
How to Customize Your Author Page
Consider your Author Page your Goodreads welcome mat. This is where members will go to find out all about you and your books.Make time to build out your Author Page with a professional photo, compelling bio and don’t forget an inviting call to action. Help members stay connected to you by linking to your website, your blog or your email subscription form. Make your Author Page more interesting by uploading additional photos and videos. If you have a blog, you can connect it to your Goodreads Author Page using an RSS feed. Make sure to turn on the “Ask the Author” feature to increase your connection with readers.
[socialrocket-tweet quote=”Pro Tip: Make it easy for #Goodreads members to find you off the platform & for followers on other social networks to find you on #Goodreads.” tweet=”Pro Tip: Make it easy for #Goodreads members to find you off the platform & for followers on other social networks to find you on #Goodreads.” style_id=”default”]
How to Build Your Authority on Goodreads
The Law of Reciprocity teaches that you get out of something what you put into it. If you want to get the most out of Goodreads, you have to invest in it.Invite your friends from Facebook, Twitter and GMail to connect with you. Add books from your Amazon account to your Goodreads bookshelf, and start rating the books you’ve read and the ones you’re currently reading. Vote in polls, join groups and take part in reading challenges. Have fun on Goodreads and you’ll build authority and trust in the community.
How to Use the Goodreads Author Program to Market Your Book
Like any social network, Goodreads rewards you most when you take full advantage of its features. Answer questions from readers, respond to reviewers (skip the negative ones; nobody wins a keyboard war) and update your blog regularly. If you link your website blog to your Goodreads Author Page, it will automatically update every time you post.
Cross-pollinate your network as much as possible. If you’re planning a Facebook Live broadcast, add it to your Goodreads events, along with conferences you’ll be attending and other opportunities to see you live and in person. Make sure to connect every social media platform you actively participate in with your Goodreads account.
Simply put, make it easy for Goodreads members to find you outside of the platform, and make it easy for followers on other social networks to find you on Goodreads.
When you’re ready to pay for exposures on Goodreads, consider all options. For as little as $119, you can host a Goodreads giveaway for either Kindle or print versions of your book. There are other advertising opportunities, but giveaways are a great way to start promoting your book in a way that puts it in the hands of more readers.
Wondering whether Goodreads is the right place for you to grow your audience and promote your books? Borrow my brain for 20 minutes so we can explore whether you should include Goodreads in your marketing strategy. You can book your free session here.
“What is the best social media platform for authors?”
That question comes up for me almost daily — writers ask me via Facebook Messenger, in my free Facebook group, by email and especially when I speak live at conferences and retreats.
And though most people who ask want to know whether to focus on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Pinterest, the real answer is none of the above.
Goodreads is the Best Social Media Platform For Authors
More than just a directory and review site, Goodreads, to me, is the best-kept secret hiding out in plain sight.
Since we know that people are most likely to make purchasing decisions based on recommendations from friends, it’s important to have reviews posted online before your book is released.
Goodreads allows readers to review books before they are publicly released AND they allow readers to update their reviews. This means a reader can post a review even before they finish the book based on their early impressions, editing the review to update it once they complete the book.
Goodreads helps you to create buzz around your book among people who are already known to buy and read books.
Goodreads is like Facebook for Book Lovers
Launched in 2007, Goodreads is the largest website for book lovers and book recommendations. According to co-founder Otis Chandler, the entire mission of Goodreads is to help readers discover and discuss good books.
As an author, don’t you want a piece of that?
Here’s a taste of what you can do:
Promote your books
Develop relationships with readers
Connect your blog to build a bigger platform
Share updates with your readers
Connect with other authors in your genre and readers who like similar books
Advertise
Participate in sponsored giveaways
I consider Goodreads to be “Facebook for book lovers” because it’s an expansive community of readers, boasting 90 million members, a catalog of 2.6 billion book titles and 90 million reviews.
Half of the world’s population might be active on Facebook, but on Goodreads, you are guaranteed that every single member loves books. They love books so much that they read them, talk about them and hang out with other people who want to talk about books.
Goodreads is where you find people who know the difference between science fiction and speculative fiction or between Christian inspiration and Christian lifestyle.
Like Facebook, Goodreads will send you notifications to keep you updated with what’s happening in the community even if you’re not checking in regularly. You can also join discussion groups, send and receive private messages and connect with your offline friends and friends from other social networks.
The platform hosts book giveaways (usually paid promotions) and reader challenges to entice readers to try new books, new authors and to explore different genres.
You can recommend books to your friends based on mutual interest or even have a little friendly competition on who can read the most books in a year.
You can also connect with like-minded members in groups. There are book clubs, reading challenges and even groups devoted to reviewing books by Goodreads authors (ahem…you know how important reviews are, don’t you?).
As a Goodreads author, you can host “ask me anything” sessions, connect your blog to the platform to expand your audience and have direct conversations with people who review and recommend your books. They even have articles to show you how to maximize the platform to promote your book.
The Edge on Amazon
You don’t need to know much about the publishing industry to know that online reviews can make or break a book’s success in the market. However, authentic believable reviews can be hard to come by — and keep live.
You can’t review books on Amazon unless you’ve spent at least $50 with the company in the last year, and you have to buy the book from Amazon if you want your review to have the authority-boosting “verified purchaser” badge.
The biggest limitation with Amazon reviews, however, is that you’re not allowed to review books until the date of release. This poses a problem for authors who are traditionally published because pre-order campaigns are crucial to the overall success of a book.
5 Steps to Getting Started on Goodreads
Spend an hour getting to know the culture of the platform — Since Goodreads is like Facebook for book lovers, the tone members use is quite different than on other social media platforms. Sign up for an account if you don’t already have one and start exploring. Click around the site, read reviews, blog articles and check out the discussion area.
Add the books you’ve read — When Amazon bought Goodreads in 2013, the sites were integrated. You can connect your Amazon account to Goodreads to add your Amazon purchases to your Goodreads bookshelf and to keep track of your Kindle reading. Adding the books you’ve read to Goodreads might take a little time, but it will help to connect you to readers with similar interests.
Connect with your friends — You can send invitations to friends through Facebook, GMail and Twitter. By connecting with friends on Goodreads, you can create a community where the only thing you talk about is what you’re reading.
Join discussion groups — Like on any social media platform, Goodreads members expect authenticity in their connections. Don’t join groups to shameless promote your group (unless that’s the purpose of the group). Join groups to build real relationships with readers. Groups are a great way to get inside the heads of super-fans within your genre and to see what is trending among your ideal readers.
Apply to the Goodreads Author Program — Not everyone qualifies to become a Goodreads Author, but the bar isn’t impossibly high. If your book has an ISBN or ASIN, you qualify. The process takes some time, but once your application is accepted, several doors open up to you on the platform, including opportunities to advertise, participate in contests and host “ask me anything” author sessions.
A Word of Caution About Goodreads
Like any social media platform, establishing yourself on Goodreads will take time and energy. Instead of dabbling, make sure you have the capacity to lay a strong foundation on Goodreads before you get started. An intentional investment of time now will pay dividends later.
Though I believe every author needs to be on Goodreads, make sure you have a thick skin. Goodreads members tend to be more critical than Amazon reviewers. Expect Goodreads ratings to average 1.5 stars lower than Amazon. Because Goodreads members are book lovers, they tend to have a wider perspective to draw from than Amazon reviewers. Don’t take it too personally if your book on Goodreads averages 3 to 4 stars.
Just because Goodreads members are more critical in their reviews doesn’t make them right. Example: I launched a Christmas book that received 3 stars from a reviewer who felt “lukewarm” about the numerous references to faith and religion. Did I mention the book was about Christmas? Maybe that’s a story for another day.
Wondering whether Goodreads is the right place for you to grow your audience and promote your books? Borrow my brain for 20 minutes to explore whether you should include Goodreads in your marketing strategy. You can book your free session here.
Social media is a frothy cauldron of outrage right now.
But if you consider yourself a good Christian, you don’t get to quit social media — even if you are at a loss for words, even if what other people post makes you mad or uncomfortable, even if you’re confronted with images you don’t want to see or stories you don’t want to hear.
It’s been a rough year. I get it.
COVID-19 shut down the global economy. Unemployment in the U.S. hit an all-time high, and the political climate hit an all-time low. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Aubrey (and countless unknown, unnamed others) lit fire to the powder keg of structural and systemic racism in the United States. Police officers have been arrested and charged with felonies.
What is the impact of social media on Christianity?
Black people in the United States are fed up. And the scales have fallen from the eyes of many who consider themselves good Christians.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard, “I had no idea” or a variation, I’d knock at least a year off my college debt.
People who thought they knew what was right and what was wrong suddenly don’t know what to believe. I see it on social media, and I know you do, too.
It’s big. It’s scary. It’s overwhelming.
Good Christians Can’t Quit Social Media
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light” (Luke 8:16 NIV).
As a social media consultant for Christian authors and speakers, I’ve noticed a trend when current events make good Christians uncomfortable: Their first instinct is to quit social media.
“I had to quit Facebook. It’s just too political.”
“I quit Twitter. Everyone is too angry.”
“I quit Instagram. It’s too negative now.”
“I quit LinkedIn. It’s no longer just about business.”
Should Christians use Social Media?
I understand the desire to protect oneself from the unfiltered commentary from those on your timeline. I hate discovering people I know and love are less compassionate and I loving than I thought they were.
But good Christians, especially Christian communicators, can’t quit social media — even when it feels like the world is on fire. We need you, and the beacon of light you bring to the darkness, now more than ever.
Imagine what Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn would be like if you and every good Christian you know quit.
What would be left? More importantly, who would be left? The mere thought makes me shudder.
The ultimate test of a good Christian’s commitment to their audience is what they do when social media gets uncomfortable. So what will you do? Will you continue suiting up and showing up, being a voice of reason, encouragement, and care for your followers?
To quote Stan Lee in The Amazing Spider-Man,“with great power, comes great responsibility.” You have the opportunity to use your powers for good while others would rather use theirs for evil.
Christian Communicators are Ministry Leaders
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9 NIV).
God didn’t call you to be a writer or speaker because he thought you needed a hobby. He placed a message upon your heart to share with the world. Whether you have a platform the size of Beth Moore’s or are still trying to get your Facebook following to triple digits, you have been appointed shepherd of a designated flock.
You don’t have the luxury of quitting social media when your audience is in desperate need of direction. You have an obligation to lead them like only you can.
At a loss for words? I bet they are, too.
Not sure what to say?Afraid of saying the wrong thing?
Like attracts like. I guarantee your followers feel the exact same way you do.
To quit social media out of discomfort is to abandon your followers when they need you most.
Positive Impact of Social Media on Christianity
Instead, consider sitting in discomfort with your readers. Share the angst and disappointment. Create space for others to explore and process. When appropriate, make room for voices to be heard that might otherwise be drowned out.
That’s what leaders do.
Need help here? Watch and learn from others who do it well.
For those struggling with how to grapple with racism publicly or privately, Latasha Morrison, author of Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation, offers simple instructions:
Good Christians Practice Self-Care
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mark 12:31 NIV).
As ministry leaders and beacons of light in the world, Christian writers carry a heavy burden.
Self-care is the key to avoid being crushed by the weight.
You can show up consistently on social media and take care of yourself and your needs. The two are not mutually exclusive.
When Jesus instructed us to love our neighbor, he added an important qualifier: “as you love yourself.” Your ability to love others is dependent upon how well you can love yourself.
Self-care looks differently for everyone, and it’s critical that you honor what you need. Here’s what self-care might look like for a good Christian who isn’t quitting social media:
Designate two to three times a day for checking social media and limit each session to 15 minutes. It’s more than enough time to stay current and serve your audience without getting lost in a rabbit hole.
Extend your prayer and worship time. A daily practice of prayer centers you and makes room for God to show himself. Need a quick lift? Watch Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer recite Psalm 91. Her voice is like nectar for my soul, bringing about instant feelings of peace.
Journal. Christian writers can synthesize deep emotions and thoughtful considerations through journaling. Give yourself 15 minutes a day to write down your thoughts and feelings without judgment or censorship.
Get more sleep. Not only is sleep restorative, it gives your brain a break from constant input so it can better process and filter the information you’ve consumed.
Move your body. Taking a walk and other forms of exercise help burn off pent-up emotional energy while clearing your mind.
Spend extra time with those you love. We are relational beings. Extra time with family and friends keeps you connected to what matters most.
— Priscilla Shirer (@PriscillaShirer) May 30, 2020
Good Christians are Faithful Followers
Share your faith on social media
When the world is on fire (online or in real life), you have both the obligation and honor of suiting up and showing up on social media. If servant-leadership were easy, everyone would do it. As a Christian author or speaker, you have been called to lead. You have been appointed for a time such as this, even if you don’t feel qualified or prepared. God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. And he will make sure you have every tool you need to share his message with your followers.
If you need help figuring out how to lead well on social media, even if you have a small audience, let’s talk. Book a free 20-minute call with me to explore how to use your unique gifts to connect with the followers who count.
No matter what you want to do online, creating content that connects is front and center.
IT HAS TO BE.
If your content doesn’t connect with your readers, you are wasting your time.
Do you want to connect to your audience through your blog? You need to write posts that engage your readers.
Is podcasting your platform? You need show notes to encourage listeners to click that “play” button — and to subscribe.
Do you want to get booked as a speaker? You’ll need a speaker page showing event planners you can be trusted with their people and illustrating how you’ll deliver an experience that will make them look good.
Why You Need to Intentionally Create Online Content
Content is the key to connection. Content connects us to the audiences we hope to serve.
Do you know how to create content that truly connects with readers, or are you throwing spaghetti at the wall in hopes something — anything — sticks?
Over the past decade, I’ve discovered that even though communicators make a living from the words they use, many still struggle with online content creation for three reasons:
A communicator’s biggest challenge with online content creation is often a lack of understanding.
Online writing differs from other types of writing. Online writing requires a different slant than many communicators are accustomed to. For example, if you lack a content strategy, you may not understand how to effectively using your content to connect with your readers. Strong audience relationships require a strategy, a plan and consistent execution.
Time is a limited resource for all of us, and it’s a resource that must be used wisely.
Even if you’re a prolific writer and speaker, you have to dedicate time to online writing. It takes time to repurpose your blog articles into emails and social media posts, especially if you intend to do it well. But if your goal is to connect with your readers in a real way, this is time well spent. Need help in this department? Check out my fill-in-the-blanks social media templates.
Communicators expect A LOT from their online content.
Even in 2020, people still chase the elusive unicorn of viral content. We can control the content we create, but we can never control what happens to our content once it is posted. Everyone has a chance at going viral, but nobody can predict it or force the phenomenon. All we can do is have a solid system in place so we’re ready if our content does pick up traction.
Solving the Struggle with Online Content Creation
It is important to understand WHY we struggle with the content we share online. We’ve established why frustration exists — communicators don’t always understand how to write online content, they don’t put enough time into it, and they have unrealistic expectations; which is why I am not surprised when I talk to communicators and they have a love/hate relationship with their online impact.
If creating content seems like an unsolvable mystery or an overwhelming marathon, then I am so glad you are here.
Why?
Because I can help. If you have an immediate need, visit my VIP Vault for free social media templates to get you started. And then, read on to learn how more about how you can leverage the online content you create to achieve your goals.
The Ultimate Guide to Creating Content That Connects
You know building relationships with audiences takes time, attention, and skill. The same is true for online writing. This guide will help you understand how to write for online audiences, how to create specific goals so you don’t waste time, and how to assess the results of consistent effort. I’ve created this ultimate guide to equip and empower you to achieve the results you seek in your own online content strategy.
I should mention, though, this is no quick fix. The guide I outline below is a step-by-step action plan, which explains both what to do and why it’s important. Not only do you need to better understand the role online content plays in your business, you need to know how to use that content to connect with your target audience.
Grab my hand, a notebook, and a pen. Your lesson begins right now…
SMART Online Content Creation Starts with Goals
Whether your current focus is social media, blogging, podcasting, or vlogging, your online content strategy has to start with the end in mind.
Ask yourself:
What is your goal?
What does success look like?
How will I know I’ve won?
How long am I willing to wait for results?
What numbers matter most?
When you know your goals, you can create a plan to help you reach them. Goal setting is about being kind to yourself! Know your goals. Make a plan. Execute the plan and reach your goals faster than you thought you could.
When writing a book, an author’s most basic objective is to get readers to turn the page. The more pages they turn, the bigger the impact the book will have on them.
Writing for the web is a little different. You want people to read, but what you want more than anything is for them to act on, and engage with, what they read. This means blog comments, social media mentions, email replies, and podcast downloads. You don’t want people to just read. You want them to consume — to take what you’ve written, internalize it, and then evangelize it to their friends. In the world of online content, binges are a good thing.
Goals are always more successful, and more attainable, when they are concrete. By now, we’ve all heard of SMART goals — goals that are specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic and time-bound. If you’re like a lot of people just starting to focus on your online content with a goal, you have a vague idea of what you want. Here’s what I usually hear when I ask about goals:
More readers
More followers
More engagement
Unfortunately, “more” is relative. If you tell me you want “more” of anything, I’m going to ask you how much more you want and how long you’re willing to wait to get “more.”
A new email subscriber a week is “more” than zero — but is that what you really want? How much of an impact is one person going to have on your business?
Instead of just wanting “more,” set a meaningful goal. If you aim to achieve a 10% increase in Facebook followers over 90 days by posting engaging content daily, there is no question what winning looks like. At the end of 90 days, success will be easy to determine. Either you hit your goal, exceeded it, or fell short.
Take a step toward your content creation goals
Use these questions to create your own SMART goals:
What is your goal?
What does success look like?
How will I know I’ve won?
How long am I willing to wait for results?
Which numbers matter most?
Identify Your Target Audience and Become BFFs
Once you figure out your goals, it’s time to identify your reader. We’ve come a long way since the days of the newspaper landing on your doorstep with the goal of appealing to the masses. Every online marketer will tell you that if you’re trying to reach everyone, you’re guaranteed to reach no one.
The online world appreciates specificity. If you’re a left-handed quilter, you will be more loyal to a site that exists solely to serve left-handed quilters than one targeting all quilters. Being a lefty in the right-handed world of crafting is no easy task. Left-handed quilters understand the challenge of using a rotary cutter and pinning a garment without drawing blood. To find your tribe is a special experience. Targeted content attracts your tribe and makes them feel like VIPs.
A mentor of mine once said everyone is tuned in to Station WIIFM — What’s In It For Me? And it’s true. Modern life moves so quickly, and everyone has a dozen competing priorities at any given time. We compete for our audience’s time, their energy, and their attention.
When we know our reader or viewer, though, we have an idea of those competing priorities. When we know the competition, we can work to beat it — or at least find a way to make space for ourselves.
You need to know your target audience so well you could pick a restaurant to meet them for lunch AND order from the menu on their behalf.
Over at Clutter Free Academy — a Facebook Group I manage on behalf of best-selling author and speaker Kathi Lipp — members care a lot about getting the most for their money. They are frugal and they have a need for quantity (that’s often why they struggle with clutter). If I were to plan a dinner party for them, I’d choose Black Bear Diner, Cracker Barrel, or the nearest all-American buffet.
If you’re reading this, my guess is you run on caffeine and Jesus. You might like coffee, tea or Coke, but “decaf” is not in your vocabulary. If you came to visit me, I’d make you avocado toast or take you to a local Thai restaurant — not because these are your favorite things but because I know you have an adventurous side and I know we’ll have lots of fun when I introduce you to new things.
Answer these questions to paint a compelling picture of who you want to serve:
Who are they?
What do they want?
What do they need?
Why are they searching?
What do they eat?
What do they do for fun?
The more specific you can be in identifying your ideal reader or viewer, the closer you can get to serving up the exact kind of content they are craving.
Commit to Consistently Producing Online Content
If you want to connect with your audience, you have to be present. Presence means suiting up and showing up every day, every week, or every month — depending on your mode of delivery.
Too often, communicators fear burning out their audiences. Because they don’t want to email too much, blog too much, or post too much to social media, they don’t do it all — or they do it in fits and starts. The only thing worse than not having an online presence is having an inconsistent presence. I know that might sting a little but it has to be said!
What Consistency Looks Like on Social Media
On channels run by algorithms, like Facebook and Instagram, the only way to get seen is to be routinely present.
Algorithms are run by user behavior. The more content you feed into the machine, the more opportunities users will have to engage. The more engagement you get, the higher the algorithm prioritizes your content. A higher priority means your post gets shown to more people.
On Facebook and Instagram, this means posting every day — even on holidays and weekends. On Twitter, five to eight tweets a day keeps the algorithms calculating in your favor.
Let me be clear. This is not a case of quantity over quality. They both matter. You need to add value to people’s lives if you want to attract and keep more followers – you need to share quality content. My social media swipe file has copy/paste templates to get you started. Check them out.
What Consistency Looks Like on Blogs and Email
In addition to posting daily on the social media channel(s) of your choice, you’ll need to produce regular content to your blog to feed the Google machine and send regular emails to your subscribers to feed the relationship you’re building with them. Value matters here, too. A good rule of thumb is to produce content that meets your consumer right where they are and offers them solutions to their most desperate needs.
When you’re starting out and working to establish and build consistency, aim for one blog post a month and an email every week to your subscribers. Be reliable to them and they’ll become loyal to you.
Consistent Content Creation is Mandatory
Consistency is not negotiable when you’re trying to build or maintain your online presence. I know, I know…it sounds hard when you’re starting out. I have heard all the objections.
I don’t have enough followers.
I don’t have enough email subscribers.
I don’t have enough time to do all of this.
I don’t have enough to say.
Here’s a bold truth: If you can’t find the time or the words to show up consistently for a handful of people, how will you ever manage to show up for thousands? If your following is small, now is the perfect time to create systems supporting consistency so that when you grow, you can scale to meet the needs of a larger audience.
And to the argument of time, I say welcome to 2019. We’re fortunate to have a robust library of free resources and tools at our disposal allowing us to create content, batch it and schedule it so that we’re not at the mercy of our phones and computers 24/7.
You can be consistently present AND have a life, too.
Answer these questions to create your content calendar:
What day/time is best to send an email to my subscribers?
What day/time is best for me to write blog posts?
When can I post or schedule my blog articles?
How much time do I have each week for social media content creation?
What tools can I use to make the most of the time that I have?
Become a Master Storyteller
Everything you post online needs to tell a story — and it needs to be a good one. Whether it’s the story of your brand, the work you do, or the people you serve, the story you tell must create an emotional connection between you and your audience.
Consider this tweet by author and humanitarian Bob Goff. What does it say about Bob and what he values? Who do you think Bob’s ideal audience is and what do you think he wants them do?
We’ve been operating a school in Afghanistan for the last 15 months. We’ve started building a bigger school with our Afghan friends to provide more opportunities in this beautiful country. Education doesn’t just change a few things, it changes everything 📚 pic.twitter.com/Zy6dOOIUad
If you’re serious about your role as a communicator, you need to live to serve your audience. Serving your audience means focusing on them and their needs when you create your online content.
Even the shortest of social media posts needs to have a defined beginning, middle, and end to stir up a response in the reader.
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has an Instagram account that tells a great story in every post. Fitting with the agency’s reputation for covert operations, posts have intrigue and a deference for the work of those employed by the organization.
If you seek to inform, how can you help your reader to emotionally connect with the knowledge you’re sharing?
If you want to motivate, how do you get the audience to take action?
If you want to inspire, how do change their perspective or thought process?
If you want to entertain, how do you make the laughs meaningful enough to make an impression?
The answer is TRANSFORMATION.
People go to Google for facts. Experience is what leads your audience to transformation, and transformation changes a person forever which is how you connect. You tell a story of transformation and then you show how your audience can experience transformation for themselves. For examples of posts that showcase transformation, check out my free social media templates.
Take a step toward telling a great story
Answer these questions and start writing compelling emails, blog articles and social media posts:
What transformation do you offer?
How can your ideal audience best experience that transformation?
Who have you guided through transformation in the past?
Stay on Brand
The final step in creating content that connects you to your online audience is the absolute hardest, especially for communicators.
STAY ON BRAND.
Once you set the goals you want to achieve through your online content and work to become BFFs with your ideal audience member, you must stick to your established brand and to your promise.
Everything you post online that’s associated with your blog, podcast, and author or speaker persona must maintain alignment with your brand personality and the wants and needs of your audience.
I know how tempting it is to share photos of that yummy dinner you’re having out with friends, or the sweet note your daughter left for you this morning. The way the Starbucks barista misspelled “Brian” so that your cup now reads “BRAIN” is hilarious. But, if you can’t tie those posts to your audience and your promise to them, they have no business on your professional social media accounts. That’s what personal profiles are for.
The same is true for blog posts, podcasts, and emails. Your audience is trusting you to value their time and the space you take up in their feeds and inboxes. Don’t abuse the privilege by giving them content that doesn’t serve them or their needs.
I’m not saying not to show your personal side, I’m saying to make sure everything you show is aligned to your brand. And, if you make a choice to post something slightly off-brand, you better be sure it’s a strategic decision and you have a plan for how it’ll serve your audience.
Unless you’re a health and fitness coach, your weight-loss progress photos shouldn’t be on your professional accounts. If you feel like your followers need to know that part of your journey, you can show it ONCE every six months. Your Facebook author or speaker page is not the place for your weekly weigh-ins or your meal plan accountability.
Remember, your audience is all about WIIFM — What’s In It for Me — and if you’re posting stuff that doesn’t make sense to them, they will unfollow and unsubscribe. This is a relationship, and the relationship goes both ways. Please take your reader into consideration when it comes to what you post and how it’s framed.
Take a step toward establishing your brand message
Answer these questions to help filter what and how you will share with your audience:
What could you talk about all day without losing enthusiasm?
What strong opinions do you hold?
How do you differ or disagree from others in your field?
What questions do you get asked all the time?
Know Your Channels — And the Expectations They Bring
In addition to being audience-focused, content that connects is channel-specific. This means one size doesn’t fit all, and you must keep that in mind when you’re creating and posting your content.
Nothing frustrates me more than when I’m scrolling Facebook and find a post with 10 to 30 hashtags at the end. Why?
Because I know that post isn’t really for me. It was just auto-posted over from Instagram.
You are a communicator and you are using social media to build your platform and grow your audience. You can’t cut corners. Again, the reason why is your audience! They know when you auto-post!
When you post to one channel and let that post automatically forward to other channels, you’re missing the biggest point of social media — to connect. You’re telling audiences they don’t matter, and they aren’t important enough for your attention.
When I see an Instagram post on Facebook, the message is loud and clear: Instagram is your priority and as your Facebook follower, I’m in second place.
Instagram is not Facebook and should not be treated that way. It’s the same thing when people auto-post from Facebook to Twitter and everyone on twitter sees a few characters, an ellipsis and a link. The ultimate message to the audience is “this isn’t actually meant for you.”
This is a point not to take lightly and, if you can’t already tell, it’s one I’m intensely passionate about. I know it takes time to post to social media and I know it takes effort, but I believe your audience is worth the time and effort. I know you believe they are worth it, too. If you want your audience to know they’re valued, then you must write specifically for them as individuals and for the channel where they are accessing your content.
If you don’t feel like you have the time to write channel-specific content, then you’re on too many channels. There is nothing wrong with limiting the scope of your online presence — quality always trumps quantity. However, we also have several tools at our disposal to assist with the management of social media and content creation. There really isn’t an excuse for auto-posting between channels without editing for your audience. If you need some help coming up with unique content, swipe my free social media templates. I offer 10 that can be used at any time. Just copy, paste, customize and post.
Take a step toward finding your audience
Answer these questions to figure out where to reach your audience:
Who are your followers on Instagram? What do they need? How do they engage?
Who are your followers on Facebook? What do they need? How do they engage?
Who are your followers on Twitter? What do they need? How do they engage?
Use Video to Close the Gap
The best way to connect with online audiences is through live video.
Video allows your audience to see your face, hear your voice, and experience what it’s like to have a conversation with you.
If you’re a speaker, you need to be doing live video. It’s a great way for event planners to hear you and see how you deliver material.
If you’re a writer, you need to do live video. It’s how you bring your personality to life and draw your readers closer to you.
If you’re a podcaster, you need to do live video. It extends your brand and gives your audience the ability to connect with you on a deeper level.
If you’re a vlogger, you’re already doing live video. Congratulations! Tell everyone in the comments about the benefits you see in what you do. We have so much to learn from you.
Live video gets the highest engagement on all social media channels, but it’s also the most forgiving. Produced videos aren’t trusted by audiences as much as live videos because the assumption is that edits are done to make you look good. With live video, though, your mistakes are out there for the world to see and people find that endearing.
I’ve gone live without make-up on, in my pajamas and with my hair sticking up all over the place. I’ve stuttered, misspoken, lost my train of thought and even talked for 20 seconds without realizing my mic was muted.
And I’ve made just about every mistake in the book… because I am showing up! Mistakes and tech difficulties don’t happen, and you don’t get the experience of dealing with them if you never go live!
The dreaded technical difficulties have occurred in the middle of a live video and I survived.
You will, too, I promise!
The key to getting good at going live is to do it again and again. The best results come from going live several days in a row — close enough together so you don’t have time to overthink or over-analyze before you turn around and do it again.
In 2018, I went live on Facebook for 12 days in a row. That experience taught me volumes about my audience, what interests them and what scares them. Most of my live videos were interviews with peers and associates and so the experience also built my collaborative network.
People who watched me wanted to work with me, they wanted to interview me, and they were asking to be interviewed by me. This attention grew my Facebook following, grew my email list, grew my client roster, and, more than anything, it grew my level of authority and influence within my target market.
Those 12 live videos changed the trajectory of my business and gave me greater confidence in my message and in my ability to deliver on my audience needs.
If you’re ready to make an immediate and lasting impact on your audience, a series of live videos needs to be part of your upcoming content plan. Download my free guide to going live to find out more.
Take a step toward using video to connect
Answer these questions to create a template outline for your videos:
What is the goal of your video?
What is the main topic of your video?
What three points support your main topic?
How can you simply summarize your video?
How will you conclude your video?
Act Now and Start Using Your Content to Connect
Now that you know the steps to take to create content to connect with your ideal audience, it’s time to act. Here’s your action plan:
Establish SMART Goals for Your Online Content
You can’t measure what you’re not tracking. Setting SMART goals is the first step to creating content that connects because it gives you a target to aim for.
Identify Your Target Audience and Become BFFs
You need to become instant internet besties with your ideal reader or listener. This means knowing them so well you could meet them for lunch and know exactly what to order.
Commit to Consistently Producing Online Content
If you want to connect, you need to suit up and show up every day. Be as loyal to your audience as you hope they are to you.
Tell a Story and Tell It Well
Learn to lead with stories. Every post, long or short, needs a strong storytelling component to connect with your audience on an emotional level. People will always remember how you make them feel more than what you tell them to do.
Use Video to Close the Gap
Video may not be searchable by web crawlers, but its value is immeasurable in helping you to develop close, connected relationships with the people who follow you. Live video is best, because the real, unedited you is what people want most.
Know Your Channels and the Expectations They Bring
You can’t just post for the sake of posting. You must take the time to post content that is meaningful and appropriate to the channel AND to the audience the channel attracts.
Stay on Brand
Your relationship with your audience is based on trust and an unspoken agreement of the value you’ll provide with your content. Fulfill your promise by sticking to your brand and to the topics of interest in your niche. Don’t falter and don’t confuse your audience by posting random stuff.
The Time to Act is Now — Create Content That Connects
You can instantly implement this action plan all at once or you can take your time. The most important thing is to start today with Steps 1 and 2. Set your goals and identify the ideal person you want to reach. After that, every other step will be easier to complete because you’ll be able to test your plan against your goals and the intended audience.
Need help?
Steal my 10 Top Engaging Social Media Posts. These social media templates give you the words to say that connect with readers and drive engagement. All you need to do is copy, paste, customize and post.
Tonya Kubo helps Christian communicators leverage the power of social media to build community around the messages of their hearts. She is the founder of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy Facebook group and a frequent guest on the Clutter Free Academy and Communicator Academy podcasts. If you’re interested in building digital communities, join her FREE Facebook Group, The Secret to Thriving Online Communities.
Words matter. You know it and I know it. Christian authors make their living from knowing it.
Unlike the rest of the world, Christian writers know words drive their online reputations. Sure, slick designs are pretty. We all like beautiful photography and bold features.
But words and wordsmithing are always going to get the bulk of a reader’s attention. They should get yours, too.
Are you using yours well? More importantly, are you using yours consistently?
Christian writers owe it to their readers to suit up and show up every day. You owe them daily posts on your social media channels, weekly emails and monthly blogs (at least). Content is king, as the saying goes. But consistency is most certainly queen.
Why Christian Writers Don’t Post to Social Media Consistently
Consistency is tough, though. I hear it all the time from the authors I advise. Here are the top three reasons authors give me for why they aren’t posting to social media consistently:
They don’t have enough time to post;
They don’t get enough response to justify making time to post
They don’t know what to say when they do post
Some time ago, I posted a poll on Facebook asking followers why they weren’t consistent on social media.
The responses were split between “not enough time” and “not enough response.”
These results led me to publish my longest blog article to date, the Ultimate Guide to Creating Social Media Content. The article is a monster…it’s a comprehensive guide of why you should create social media content consistently, how to do it and what type of content is most effective.
No time to read a 5,000-word article about posting to social media?
Consider this article the next best thing.
Why Christian Writers Struggle With Social Media Consistency
Christian writers struggle with posting to social media for the following reasons:
They don’t understand the format
They don’t make it a priority
They have unrealistic expectations
Posting to social media requires a different slant than many writers are accustomed to. It takes practice, a lot of it, before you get the hang of what words work best with your readers. Meanwhile, you already feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day to do what you want — and what you need.
Bold truth: Strong reader relationships require a strategy, a plan and consistent execution.
You don’t have to be Beth Moore or Jen Hatmaker. Nobody expects that of you. But you do have to set yourself apart from everyone else striving to encourage and empower Christian women.
Even if you’re a prolific writer and speaker, you have to dedicate time to your social media strategy. It takes time to repurpose your blog articles into emails and social media posts, especially if you intend to do it well. However, this is time well spent because it builds deeper connections with your readers!
Set a Goal for Posting to Social Media Consistently
If you want a solid social media strategy, start with the end in mind.
Ask yourself:
What is your goal?
What does success look like?
How will I know I’ve won?
How long am I willing to wait for results?
What numbers matter most?
Goal setting is about being kind to yourself! Know your goals. Make a plan. Execute the plan and reach your goals faster than you thought you could.
Create a Plan to Achieve Your Goal
There’s best practices and realistic practices. Each of us has to find our own middle ground.
You KNOW you should post to social media every day. If that’s not realistic for you, you need to figure out what small step you can now to get closer to the ideal of daily posting. Or consider hiring help.
Something is better than nothing — but whatever you choose to do, you have to be consistent. Any algorithm-based platform is going to rank consistent activity higher than inconsistent activity.
If you fail to execute your social media posting plan, you’re stuck on start.
No matter how big or small your plan is, commit to following it for 30 to 90 days. The longer you do it, the better data you can collect on what works and what doesn’t. After 90 days, take a hard look at the numbers to see what changes can be made to amplify your successes.
If you don’t know how to read your data or what numbers matter, find someone who does. You can phone a friend, hire it out or join my Facebook Group on thriving online communities. The focus over there is online communities and the successful management of them, but I host regular live coaching sessions where you’re welcome to ask me just about anything.
Specifically, podcast host Kathi Lipp and I talked about how challenges serve as effective tactics for writers and speakers who want to grow their social media following or increase their online engagement.
If you want to grow your audience, create community, and create a place where you can challenge people who follow you to grow and change, then you need this episode.
Challenges are a great way to develop your online community, but even at the most basic level, there is an art to doing them well.
In this 19-minute episode, I share:
What challenges are
How to naturally grow your group using a challenge
The benefits challenges offer to you and to your followers
But most importantly, I encourage you to use challenges to fulfill your promise to your online community. This is an honor and obligation not to be taken lightly.
If you listen in, I’d love to hear what you think!
***
Tonya Kubo believes in people over process and uses a personalized approach to help writers leverage the power of social media to launch books, online communities, membership programs and brands. She is the founder of the Clutter Free Academy Facebook group, Secret to Thriving Online Communities Facebook group and Clutter Free for Life membership program. She is a frequent guest on the Clutter Free Academy and Communicator Academy podcasts, has been featured on the Biz Mavens podcast, and has taught at Leverage: The Speaker Conference.
