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Ever since I became published, I keep being told to use "Twitter". Why? Yes, it's another form of social networking, but does Tweeting actually produce sales?  I already maintain a good number of social forums, how can adding Twitter help?

 

I'd really like to know and see cold hard facts before adding another social outlet to my daily schedule and take more social time away from writing.

 

Thanks

Shawn Lamb

Author of Allon

http://www.allonbooks.com

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I don't have a way to track whether or not Twitter has resulted in any sales. I just tweet for the exposure factor. Just like TV commercials. Not every commercial results in a sale of the product but, sooner or later, given enough exposure, the brand begins to sink into the viewer's consciousness. A viewer might see the commercial a hundred times before they decide to try the product. Just seems to me that there's no such thing as too much exposure --- as long as it's done right. That is to say, it's not a good idea to just tweet a never-ending barrage of sales pitches for your book. I intersperse my book tweets with other informative or humorous tweets. Here's an example of my tweets:

 

The Ezekiel Code - a novel about a date with destiny: 2012. Amazon "Bestseller" in "Occult" & "Religious Fiction". http://www.ezekielcode.com

 

Seriously, if this 20-second video doesn’t make you laugh, well… then you must be dead. http://tinyurl.com/coc9fg

 

Why did documentary film producer, Jay Weidner, call The Ezekiel Code “a course in high strangeness”? Answer: http://amzn.to/944Fcn

 

Just got back from the shrink. He said I have a split personality. I don't think so and neither do I. 


August, 2006, something extraordinary happened to our planet. Only a few people know about it. 2012 is coming….Or is it? www.ezekielcode.com

 

Did you know… Until 1933 when the brand name was changed, the soft drink we know as 7-UP was called Lithiated Lemon.

 

Is the head of the Jesuit brotherhood in league with the ancient cult of the Illuminati? Find out in The Ezekiel Code! www.ezekielcode.com

 

Dark City – One of the greatest noire sci-fi films of all time! Awesome cinematography. Must see! http://tinyurl.com/2zm9bb

 

NINE IS THE KEY=144=THE SECRET KEY..... Can Zeke Banyon decipher the code in time? Will we make it to 2012? www.ezekielcode.com

 

Did you know… Traveling at 100 miles per hour it would take you 29 million years to reach the nearest star.

 

Unique twist on the 2012 phenomenon. Conspiracy, mystery, murder, secret societies, & high strangeness. The Ezekiel Code www.ezekielcode.com

 

I predict someone will come up with a cartoon called Twitter Dum & Twitter Dee. They'll speak in 140-character sentences.

 

Something miraculous has been buried at the bottom of the Antarctic Ocean for thousands of years. 2012 is coming... http://www.ezekielcode.com

 

Do you do the follow or follow? What about conversations? I can treat it like a press release, I suppose. Is that about what you do?

I don't get involved in conversations. Not even sure how to do that on Twitter. :-)

I do the "follow" thing just to increase my audience. I think there's a lot more to Twitter than I've taken the time to explore. Like you, I'm so busy keeping up with my other social forums that I just don't have the time to learn all there is to know about Twitter right now.

I appreciate your reply and especially your examples. Most people just give the pat answer of 'engage and follow'. With your response I see at least one practical use.

I have over 2,000 followers...honestly I have no idea why. Still it's cool they follow me. However, I'd prefer to follow only those I find interesting. I don't want to follow some dude tweeting about his latest date with the "Hottie 4Shizzle".

 

I typically follow sports celebs (as I also write for some sports blogs), other authors, publishers. Things like that.

 

I need to get better about the social media though. I typically don't visit it them that often. I haven't gotten "rich and famous" off my novels so I still have to hold a day job.


When I get home, I need to find time for the wife, my writing, and my down time. I don't really have much time to social network.

 

I wonder...do they have social network ghostwriters? LOL. :-)

Couldn't find you on Twitter with a search for pastorbobbycsi or Pastor Bobby Keating. My twitter name is EzekielCode. 

 

http://twitter.com/#!/EzekielCode

Agreed, don't use it for spamola.

 

That will get you unfollowed super quick. You need to add some personal content on there - not just a "Buy my book it's great http:\\mybookrocs.com" type post.

 

You can slip those in there - kinda like Gary demonstrated...but Twitter is all about personal interaction. People follow you because they're interested in what you're doing.

 

Some of that includes your work...but other parts are very personal. You have to decide how much you're willing to share.

Thanks to both of you. And I've  BIG GULP! taken the plunge. So, if you both don't mind, I'll start by following you.

Hey, wait! I'm still new to this Twitter thing. I have to figure out how to talk to myself before I graduate to the 3 way conversation. lol

 

http://www.twitter.com/slamballonbooks

Feel free to follow me as well, I'll reciprocate. :o)

@JCDeLaTorre

Done! Tweet away. :)

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