social media
Twitter Tips: The #FF Faux Pas
On Wednesday, I talked about some Facebook pet peeves. Today it’s time for another little talk about Twitter.
If you’re on Twitter, you’re probably familiar with the #FF (Follow Friday) trend. The idea is that you use the hashtag to give a shout-out to someone you think other people should follow. Here’s what a lot of the #FF tweets in my feed look like:
#FF @ThatOneGuy @TheOtherDude @ACoolChick @MyBFF @SuperAwesomeLady @BoyITweetedOnce
Um … I have to confess. I’ve never once followed anyone who showed up in a list like that.
A slight improvement might look like this:
#FF some cool writers @WritesALot @WritesAndReads @AnotherAuthor @FictionaholicsAnonymous
At least I know they’re writers, but … I already follow a lot of cool writers. I get random writers following me because they found “writer” in my profile, and I already have to decide whether to follow them back. I’m not in the camp of trying to follow every writer on Twitter.
What would an effective #FF look like (in my opinion)? It’d take a little more effort and require spreading a little less love, but that love would be more apparently sincere. For example:
#FF @SaraMegibow for her #10queriesin10tweets every Thurs. Great stuff!
Or …
#FF @bigblackcat97 for no-nonsense YA, rural-life hilarity, and general randomosity.
Like I said the last time I talked about Twitter, tweet like you mean it.
As a corollary, the “reply all” style thank-yous for #FF mentions. Here’s my thinking. If I’m already mentioned in the #FF, I saw it. Why do I need to see that someone else in the list thanked the initial tweeter?
Of course, that leads to a bigger question: Is our goal in thanking someone to show gratitude, or to be seen to show gratitude?
And have I been guilty of all of the above at one time or another? Absolutely. But I’m going to try to do better.
What are your thoughts on #FF? Do you find them effective? How so? Please share your tips and tricks.
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Comments Off on Twitter Tips: The #FF Faux PasThe Dilemma of Authors on Facebook
It’s a question that comes up all the time on AgentQuery Connect. How (if at all) should authors use Facebook?
After being heavily involved in a couple of online writers’ communities, I ended up with a lot of writer-friends on Facebook. Some are aspiring, some are self-published, some work with (or have founded their own) small presses, some are agented, and some are traditionally published.
I admit, I’ve been cutting back on my Facebook use because it’s gotten overwhelming. Book release parties, announcements for signings, groups for these authors, groups for those authors … and that’s in addition to the invites, groups, and requests to play some game or another that I get from non-writing friends.
Slightly overwhelming, especially when I want to keep my Facebook check-in time brief.
I tried just ignoring things, focusing on what I prioritized, but darn if Facebook doesn’t make notifications obnoxious. If I get added to a group, I get a notification every time someone (or a friend, at least) posts in that group. If I get invited to an event, I get a notification when a friend posts in that event, even before I’ve gone in to say Join, Maybe, or Decline.
So, I say no. Not to everything, but to a lot of things.
Turns out for some of these things (Events, at least), the person in charge gets notified when I decline. Enter the guilt.
Cluttering feeds doesn’t sell books. Neither do guilt trips (at least not for me). How, then, does one effectively use Facebook as an author?
I’ll throw a few ideas out there, all of them theoretical from my perspective, and all of them just my opinion. I’m sure others will disagree.
Use a separate page. Either an Author Page or a Book Page for a specific book/series. Whatever you like. Let us know the page is there (and link to it conveniently on your blog/website), and then use that page for posting promotional information.
Don’t double-dip. This might just be me. If so, no problem. I’ll chalk it up to another of my picky quirks. But once you have that separate page, don’t simul-post the same information to both it and your personal account. Sure, some people will only see one or the other, but those of your friends who also Liked your page? Shows up twice back-to-back.
Be judicious in your use of Events and Groups. I’m fine with the occasional event invitation. When Events are created for every little thing, though, it crosses into the land of annoyance. I’ve never set up an Event, but I assume it’s possible to not invite ALL your Facebook friends. Choose invitees mindfully. Groups are especially tricky since Facebook allows you to add friends to groups without really asking them.
Think before you add—Does this person really fit the parameters of this group?
Don’t take it personally. If a friend declines an invitation or leaves a group you added them to, don’t assume it means they hate you, or are jerky poo-heads. Everyone has their own way of using Facebook, and maybe your event or group doesn’t fit in their model. And remember that it’s much more likely to reflect an annoyance with Facebook and its settings than you personally.
Do you have any tips or tricks for making Facebook use easier? Pet peeves of your own that you’ve seen done by writers? What ways do you see Facebook working for authors?
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4 commentsHey, Whiners, Cut It Out! (But Not Too Much)
During my tenure in social media (particularly Twitter and Facebook), I’ve observed a lot of whining, complaining, and overall negativity. I confess, I’ve been known to gripe now and then. Everyone needs to vent sometimes. But I try to keep the public venting reasonable and infrequent, while the more everyday venting gets handled in private by my friends. (Love you, friends!)
There are mega-extremes, of course. Those people who reply to agents’ form rejections with F-bombs and C-words. Most of us aren’t that far gone. (And those who are kind of scare me.)
But there are the little things, consistently and constantly griping, that actually annoy me more. The expletive-spouting writers I can assume are crazy. Others are just negative to the point it affects the image they portray to the world at large—especially the professional image for my fellow aspiring writers.
People with spouses, boyfriends, etc. who never do anything but complain about them. (Ladies, I have to say, I’ve yet to see a guy trash-talk his wife on Twitter. Husband-bashing, however, is rampant.) People with children and/or jobs who whine about those, too.
I’m pretty sure there are people out there who wish they could find a romantic partner, who wish they had kids, who wish they could earn enough money to make a living. Can we have a little gratitude for what we have?
But wait…
Going to the other extreme annoys me, too. People who never stop gushing about how they have the best. Husband. EVER. Or how adorable and wonderful their kids are. Ugh.
I don’t believe we need to be sunshine and happiness all the time. Let’s keep it real. When we don’t approve of something, it’s okay to speak negatively of it. When we’re excited, there’s nothing wrong with showing enthusiasm. But real people have both highs and lows, likes and dislikes, good days and Mondays.
Share the whole spectrum. Keep it balanced. If you find your tweet-stream (or timeline, or whatever) is full of negativity, take a minute to evaluate. What can you do to get yourself to a more emotionally healthy place? Maybe some things are better shared privately with those who will help you get over life’s speed bumps. That’s not the same as putting “Pity me!” attention-seekers out on social media.
On the other hand, if you’re constantly raving about how thoroughly awesome your life is … stop rubbing it in to the rest of us poor saps. 😉