5 Tips On Using Social Media To Market Yourself

It's been a while since I have been online, but I am excited to get back into the swing of things. I can not express the total thanks for all the warm support that people have given me over the last few months. I do treasure it.

I did conduct a teleseminar with Dana Lynn Smith last week entitled, "Boost Your Book Sales With Twitter". In the first half, Dana discussed how authors can use Twitter to sell books, then I talked about how authors can use Twitter contests to find more readers for their books. You can now purchase the recording and also get these added bonus guides:

1. Dana's Twitter Learning Guide
2. Dana's special report, 10 Steps to Online Networking Success
3. My 10-Step Guide for Conducting Effective Twitter Contests

You can read more about it at this affiliate link:

Boost Your Book Sales With Twitter

To kick things off again, I want share with you 5 things you can do to market yourself using social media. As you fill out your online presence, don't neglect these activities that will ultimately help you get in front of more people.

1. Run A Contest- Contests are a fun way to tap into the viral nature of the social media platform you are on. Executed correctly, you can create buzz and tap into a new readership for your books or consumers for your products and services. There are a lot of resources out there for you to use if you decide to run a contest, so read up and have fun!
   
   
2. Join Groups- Almost every social media site has groups you can join. Groups are organizations where like-minded people congregate to discuss their passions. When you join a group that relates to your products/services, you will be surrounded by people who are telling you that the group's topic is something they are interested in. At first, you may want to be an active member in the community, but look at ways that you can become an expert in the group as well. This will give you more credibility and exposure.
   
   
3. Create A Group- If you have a passion for something, chances are that someone else does as well. If you have a network of followers already, then you can leverage that relationship by creating a group. It will set you up as an expert and the "go-to" person on the topic relating to your group. Remember, groups are for the members, not simply an advertising tool for you. Make the group a place where members are immersed with quality value and you will create a fertile place to congregate that keeps on growing.
   
   
4. Find A Mentor- Navigating the ever-changing currents of the social media world can be a time consuming and often tricky thing. There are unspoken rules that only experience will teach you unless you have an experienced guide who will take you by the hand and help you find best practices and point out pitfalls you want to avoid. How do find a mentor? Interact with experts until you develop a rapport with one and then the relationship will flow from that. Most people will be happy to answer questions you have, so don't be shy in asking for advice. Just remember, if the expert makes a living selling their advice, be judicious on what you are asking for "free" and what you really should be paying for.
   
   
5. Cross Promote With Others- This can be a great way to find new followers while building a relationship that can pay dividends for years to come. The synergy from two people working together, in my opinion, is far greater than the sum of each working alone. This can easily be one the quickest ways to grow your targeted follower base.
   

These are just 5 of the many ways that I have personally used to help me grow my online presence. If you find ways to incorporate them into your marketing plan, I am confident that you will not be disappointed with the long-term benefit they bring to your brand.

Tony Eldridge