I suspected I would like it because I’m familiar with the author’s work. I first connected with Chris Syme when she referenced one of my blog posts in an article she wrote for DigitalBookWorld.com. We began talking after that, and as a result, she wrote an excellent guest post for us here, “10 terrible social media myths authors should avoid.”

Still, I often find that books take too much of a high view of a topic — lots of what and why, but not enough how — so I managed my expectations as I sat down with this book over the weekend.

I was not disappointed in the least.

Here’s why:

• The marketing basics recommended in the first part of the book mirror what I teach authors. I was glad to see that we share the same philosophy about how to attract more readers.
• The information and advice gets very, very specific, whether the topic is tools that will save you time or instruction on how to do something the “right” way.
• It has examples that help the reader understand the concepts. Those that accompany the section on the differences between goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics are particularly helpful, as is the list of sample book launch activities in the chapter on social media campaigns.

Still, will this book help you? Read on.

Who should read this book

Although this book will help the novice social media user — someone who has just opened a Twitter account or who has a Facebook profile, not a Page, and uses the site mostly to stay in touch with family and friends — much of it will overwhelm that individual, too. It (fairly) presumes a basic understanding of social networks already.

It’s also not a good fit for those of you who have decided that you don’t need social media or simply aren’t interested in using social networks to promote your books.

It’s better suited to someone who has already incorporated social media into the book marketing mix or has decided to do so and wants to know how to do it effectively. These authors will learn more about to make their social media activity SMART — sustainable (regardless of the ways networks change or come and go), manageable, audience-specific, relevant, and tactics last.

Chances are, you’ll be reassured by some of the author’s advice because it will tell you that you’re doing some things properly. For example, you might know already that how you present content should vary from network to network. Chris uses the infographic on InstaMom101, “Social media explained with wine,” to address this. But do you know the different roles of influencers and advocates and how they can support your efforts? Chapter 11 on how to build raving fans helps with that.

Content flows from basic to advanced level

What I found most valuable about this book was the methodical, logical, organized way the author presents information that will no doubt take your social media marketing up several levels if you follow her advice. It starts with the most basic information in Part 1, moves you through that to intermediate-level content in Parts 2 and 3, then helps you become an advanced social media user in Part 4.

If you haven’t been very thoughtful or strategic about what you share on social media or how you share it, that will change. The “content bucket” approach — one that I use informally but will now get more serious about embracing — presents an interesting way to think about what you share, where you share it, and how often you do it.

If you’ve been looking for guidance on how to use social media for book launches, you’ll get the knowledge you’ll need presented in a way that you understand.

I will caution you, though, that because this book does have a great deal of specific information, you can get overwhelmed quickly. Don’t try to read it in one sitting. Instead, read a few chapters and use the questions at the end of each to take action. Don’t move on to the next few chapters until you’ve acted on what you’ve just learned. That way, by the time you reach the how-to information on campaigns and paid advertising, you’ll have the foundation in place to support what you learn.

What to expect

SMART Social Media for Authors will not teach you how to set up social media accounts, create profiles, and so on. It presumes that you’ve got those in place or will use the readily available information found elsewhere to do this. If you’re looking for a book on “how to get started on Twitter” or “how to create a Pinterest board,” this isn’t for you.

Instead, it’s about the strategy you’ll use on the various sites and how you will employ specific tactics so your time spent on social networks makes a difference and isn’t wasted. It’s about the thought you put into what you share, not the mechanics of sharing.

A special word to fiction authors: While Chris handles social media campaign for both novelists and nonfiction writers through her social media agency and the book’s content applies to both, I think that novelists will struggle to understand how some of the concepts presented in Part 1 will relate to them. While there are fiction examples later in the book, I think it would have helped to have more of them early on. For example, Chris states that “Sustainable social media adds value.” In my experience working with authors, nonfiction writers can grasp how to provide free content that builds trust between an author and a reader more easily than fiction writers can.

But that’s a small point, and I have faith that the fiction writers who want to get smarter about social media will get what they need without getting too stuck on some of these points.

Learn more about  SMART Social Media for Authors: The practical guide for anyone to sell more books on Amazon.com. It’s available in both Kindle and print formats.

10 terrible social media myths authors should avoid

By Chris Syme

When it comes to social media, it seems like we will believe just about anything. If we see it on the Internet it must be true, right?

Much of what we’ve come to think about social media is just wrong. It’s time to tear down those tips and tricks that people keep telling us and close the door on bad social media advice.

Sometimes it’s obvious that some practices are wrong; other times not so much—especially if we see them over and over again online.

In order to produce content that people will love enough to pass on to others, we need to clear the table of bad practices so our fans can see the real value in what we post on social media.

If you see yourself in any of these 10 myths, take heart. We’ve all been there. I want to challenge you to challenge yourself. Together, we can stamp out these terrible social media myths.

1. Copying and pasting the same content word-for-word on all my social media channels will help my message reach more people.

This myth basically infers that all social media audiences are created equal.

Today, if you post the same message verbatim on every social media channel, people will think you are lazy and ignorant.

Every channel has its own demographics and channel culture. If you go to a black tie dinner wearing your yoga pants and sweatshirt, people will know you didn’t take time to understand where you were going. You’ll stand out and not in a good way.

Learn how to reframe your message in the channel culture’s frame. This fun infographic from instamom.com does a fantastic job explaining how your social media messages should differ in approach.

And don’t forget age demographics. Some channels have younger audiences and require a different approach. If the channel’s target demographic isn’t in your audience, you are really wasting your time there anyway.

2. The more hashtags I stuff in a tweet, the more people I will reach.

There are just so many ways this is wrong.

Hashtags have strengths, but stuffing is not one. I could list a million reasons but I’ll just stick to data. In 2014, Buffer published data from an extensive study by Buddy Media to find out the exact science of how hashtags affect a social media post. They found that tweets with hashtags receive two times more engagement than those without.

But more is not better. After two hashtags, engagement levels started to drop off drastically. Bottom line: a post full of hashtags is never a message, it is a distraction.

3. I need to join every social network to reach more people.

This myth violates a couple basic principles of effective marketing:

• Your marketing has to be manageable to be effective. You need to be able to write, promote your books, and have a life. It won’t happen if you spread yourself too thin.
• You want to key in on the channels where your readers are and develop an effective audience there. You don’t want to necessarily reach more people, you want to reach the right people. Facebook is the only platform out there that has enough range in demographics and captures enough online traffic to justify saying everyone should be there. After that, it’s iffy.

For marketing purposes, it is not enough to just join a network. You have to be working at producing engaging content and building loyal relationships wherever you are.

Be smart about which networks you use. Some may return much less than the amount of effort you are putting in.

4. Buying followers and fans will help me sell more books.

There are several reasons buying followers is a waste of your money. Besides being unethical, here are a couple:

• “Followers for dollars” are not qualified customers. Heck, they may not even be real people. Chances are very high they are not your targeted audience.
• Buying followers just increases your reach (number of people that might qualify to see your posts). Reach is a low-level goal. And it is a no-level goal if the followers you bought don’t care about what you have to say.

Note: There is something to be said for the credibility of having lots of followers but today everyone knows that people are buying followers and scamming for auto follows, so who are you trying to fool? Concentrate on engaging the number you have and they will grow organically.

You can run contests and giveaways to increase your qualified followers (people who want your books). I would rather have 1,000 people who like to read my kind of books than 10,000 bots and fake followers who will never buy one book.

5. Social media will not help me sell any books.

This is a particularly common misconception for authors. If done correctly, social media does help sell books.

The problem with this myth is that represents a misunderstanding of the benefits of social media marketing. Authors have two basic needs when it comes to marketing: sell more books and build a dedicated fan base. Social media is better at the second but it can certainly do the first.

6. Social media results cannot be measured.

Social media can certainly be measured, but you need something to measure first.

What is your goal? Increase followers? Build an advance reader team? Increase sales with a launch campaign? Build an email list?

Most people don’t know how to match goals to measurement. But don’t worry—this can all be learned. The backbone of good marketing is a plan. If you have a plan that includes goals, measurements, strategies, and tactics, you will know exactly what you are measuring.

If you are just playing darts with a blindfold on, even if you hit the bullseye, you won’t know how you got there.

7. Social media is only for young people.

This myth is easily busted with data. Just take a look at the latest data from Pew Internet Research, the top internet research organization in the world.

A whopping 71 percent of American adults online use social media—53 percent of them use more than one network. As of last year, for the first time in history, the majority of online adults over age 65 now use social media. The 18-29 group has the highest percentage at 90 percent, but all age groups are on social media now. The 30-49 age group is second at 70 percent of online adults.

This myth is a lame argument anymore.

8. I am too old to learn how to use social media.

This myth is vaguely related to number seven.

Social media savvy is not the domain of the young. If you are adept enough to write books, you can certainly learn how to use social media.

The trick is finding help learning how to do it right. Find some resources you can trust. Take some free online webinars from trusted sources, follow bloggers who know what they’re talking about, and network with other authors who are in your same boat. I think the really intimidating piece here is the learning curve. But once you get around the curve, the road is pretty straight.

9. Social media is free.

Boy I wish. Most of the platforms are free to use but maintaining a consistent presence takes time and resources, and sometimes money. You know the old saying, time is money. And time will be your biggest cost.

In addition, email providers, website hosting, images, and advertisements all cost money. Although it is possible to do social media well on a shoestring, reaching a wider audience often costs money. The good news is, there are ways to control your budget and still be successful.

10. Social media is a soap box for me to sell my books.

I don’t know if anyone really says this, but they certainly act it out. If all you do on social media is tweet or post “Buy my book” then you are failing. If you sell a handful of books with this method, think of how many you could sell if you actually built a platform to sell more books and develop a dedicated fan base.

The formula for selling on social media is “you have to earn the right to sell.” You do that by producing entertaining, helpful content that shows people you care more about them than you do about selling books. It doesn’t matter if you write fiction or nonfiction, this is still the formula.

What can you do to bust some of these myths in your own social media today? Share your thoughts in a comment below!