For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

Are you using Twitter, I am

I now have an account on twitter under the name integrity_ethic. Is anyone else on this site using twitter?

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Permalink Reply by Frances Shani Parker on March 27, 2009 at 5:43pm

What do you like about it? I saw the video on it. How is it different from Facebook?

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Permalink Reply by Vikram Narayan on March 28, 2009 at 5:39pm

Facebook is a lot more closed and allows you to interact with known people such as your friends. Twitter is a lot more open and focused on just getting short, tight, useful messages out to your followers.

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Permalink Reply by Judy Mandel on March 28, 2009 at 2:03pm

I have just started using Twitter as well, and am trying to see if it can help promote my new gift book: 50 Ways to Take the "Down" Out of Downsized, https://www.createspace.com/3375684.

Has anyone figured out the promotion piece of Twitter? How do you increase your followers for example?
Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Vikram Narayan on March 28, 2009 at 5:41pm

I've found that following others increases the number of followers. In addition, it helps to make useful posts about 4-5 times a day (mostly interesting links or quotable quotes)

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Permalink Reply by Vikram Narayan on March 28, 2009 at 5:38pm

Yes. I'm there on Twitter and it's sent plenty of traffic to fReado.com.
My twitter account is @freado

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Permalink Reply by Gary Val Tenuta on March 29, 2009 at 3:07pm

I've been tweeting for about a month under the name EzekielCode. It seems to help maintain a higher number of hits to my website (www.ezekielcode.com). I'm hoping, of course, that some of those hits are converting into actual sales but I have no way to know which sales were a result of Twitter.

I agree with Heather about not being a spam machine. If you join Twitter to promote your book try to tweet about other things as well. I intersperse tweets about YouTube videos and news articles that I think my followers may find interesting. I also tweet amusing quotes and occasional jokes.

Here's a tip to new Twitter members: Since you are limited to 140 characters per tweet, try using www.tinyurl.com to compress long URLs into short ones. It's quick and easy to do.

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Permalink Reply by Frances Shani Parker on March 30, 2009 at 6:10am

Is there anybody who tried twitter and didn't like it, particularly in terms of book marketing? Why?

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Permalink Reply by Paul Krupin on May 27, 2009 at 7:19am

I continue to have doubts about the ROI from Twitter. It has to do with 1. the inability to communicate meaningfully 2. the time, energy and money investment, when compared to any and all other time energy and money investments; 3. the type and number of people who really act on twitter messages in a way that translates into income.

You can have a ten thousand followers but convert no one to meaningful sales.

I can personally call and talk to five prospects and convert two or three of them into clients.

Which would you rather do?

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Permalink Reply by Shawn Lamb on February 21, 2011 at 1:15am

I agree, Paul. I keep hearing about how wonderful "Twitter" is and it is pushed as a marketing tool by agents, publishers, PR for authors to interact, etc. But no one can present numbers or facts to show it works to increase sales. In fact, I posted a question on this forum about Twitter - but haven't received any answers.

I have enough to do maintaining my blog, website and other social forums, where I have seen tangible results, but Tweeting on 140 characters multiple times a day to attract attention? You can't carry on a meaningful conversation. Not to mention, I'm an author who must take time to write and not promote all day.

So until someone can convince me with facts about Twitter's success, I'll leave it off my marketing duties for now.

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Permalink Reply by Dennis AuBuchon on March 30, 2009 at 12:16pm

I want to thank everyone who has responded to this forum topic. My link popularity, backlinks, search engine statistics and my name recognition have seen what I consider a huge increase since I started using twitter. I have seen a number of new visitors to my site and twitter is easy to use and provide short statements about what I am doing. I like it very much.