Monday 19 October 2015

Google+ for Writers Part 2: Engaging Your Audience

with Dee Scully


Regardless of what genre you write or what business you are in there are five essential steps to successfully engaging with your Google+ audience.  





1.  Pictures/Graphics

In the world of social media, books…or rather posts are judged by their cover. With Google+, viewers often have dozens of posts to read, most of which will be skimmed. You need a great visual to snag a viewer's attention. (Of course, you need awesome content to keep that attention, but that’s a whole other blog post!) A great picture will entice Google+ers to stop and read your post. Google+ even allows you the option of using animated graphics!

2.  Linking

Once you have that all-important visual, you need to get viewers to link into your blog or website and you need to make it easy for them to do! After all, this is the 21st century—no one wants to go searching for a new post…there are too many other posts with easy access links to click into! Utilize the LINK ATTACHMENT to ensure easy access to your blog or website.

3.  Key Words

So your graphics weren’t the best and you didn’t utilize the link attachment. What’s left to grab a viewer’s attention? Key words. The first 40-50 words of your Google+ post should not only summarize your article but should also spell out in black and white text why a viewer should click into your link and read your blog/website content. Having said that, often viewers won’t read beyond the first line, so I prefer to make that first line all about them e.g. ‘Wanna win a red kimono? Visit the Breathless blog and leave a relevant comment for your chance to win.’


4.  Circles & Communities

Image courtesy of Nanette Nielsen & Flickr.
Tailor your key words/first lines for specific circles and communities. This article, Google+ for Writers, can be tailored to market to writers of any genre…Google+ for Romance Writers or Google+ for Suspense Writers, but beware: some communities don’t allow marketing and you could get booted from their community if you don’t adhere to their particular policies.

Also, remember to click the ‘Also send emails from you to Circles.’ This lets those in your contacts know a new post has gone up and helps when there is a time element to your post e.g. "Leave a comment by Friday for your chance to win a gift pack."

5.  Content and Posting Regularly

You want viewers to be attracted to your visuals, click into your links, read your content, and return often.  If your marketing is spectacular but your posts are abysmal (or even just ok) viewers will not return. It’s just like writing a book. You’re only as good as your last one. If you missed the mark with your most recent post, viewers won’t be swayed by pretty graphics and easy links again. Make sure everything you put out is your best work. 


Dee Scully Romance Author
Post regularly. People come to expect your weekly Google+ posts. If you skip a week or two, attentions will wander to the next best thing…and you’ll have to start all over again.
  
Do you adhere to all five steps?  Is there any one step you don't fully utilise?  Why/Why not?

I love to love...helping other newbie writers connect with a larger audience via Google+!

I love to learn...new ways to use Google+!

I love to laugh...at all the silly mistakes I've made marketing myself and my writing!


Check back for Dee Scully’s Google+ for Writers Part 3:  Optimizing Your Profile.



17 comments:

  1. Great advice here for everyone Dee. I admit I am still learning about Social Media as I go so these sorts of reminders are great. Thank you.

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    1. For me, social media is a continuous learning curve. Every week there's a new update and some wonderful new tool to use!

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  2. Another really helpful post to guide me on my way to making better use of Google+. Thanks Dee!

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    1. No worries! I think the third point was the most useful for me. Just like in our books, that first line is the most important.

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  3. Lots of very useful information here, Dee. Thank you. Like Cassandra and Marilyn, I admit to being a learner still when it comes to Social Media.

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    1. Thank you Enisa! I know what you mean...with social media of any kind these days you have to be willing and open to continual learning. But a lot of that is because they are constantly adding cool and useful tools!

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  4. Dee, I'm still learning about Google +, so all this is perfect for me. Is it my imagination, or is it the Google version of Facebook? There seems a lot of similarities? So interesting, though. I love scrolling through. Thanks for your help.

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    1. Hi, Malvina! Glad that Google+ for Writers has helped!

      Yes, Google+ is fairly similar to Facebook but there are differences. For me, I'm happier with the Goog's security settings and because of a past Facebook scare I tend to trust Google+ more.

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  5. Very interesting post Dee. I have google+ but rarely use it. I might have to have a rethink. Thanks for the post

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    1. Hi, Sasha Cottman!!
      For authors such as yourself it's a great promotional tool...easy to use and connect with Circles of romance readers, writers, and publishers. I hope to see more of you on the big Goog! Make sure you have me in your Circle of Sasha Cottman fans!!

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  6. Great post, Dee! I'm always forgetting the key words and must remedy that. I do use hashtags though. No idea if it makes any difference. As much as I like G+ I find that as a social media platform it's waaaaaaay down the list when it comes to engaging with readers. Facebook is still king of that territory and it doesn't look like it's giving up the crown in any hurry. Annoying, because I much prefer G+.

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    1. Squeee!! Cathryn Hein! I love it when you visit us!!

      It's interesting...Facebook's been around a lot longer than Google+ but Google+ has grown much quicker than FB. Wether that growth continues, plateaus, or slows will be interesting to see.

      I too prefer the big Goog (I refer to Google and their various bits -- Google, Chrome, G+, Google Maps, etc...as the big Goog) but until it catches up with FB, I'll keep both.

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    2. OMG! Just got your newsletter Cathryn Hein!! How amazing does Summer and the Groomsman look!! I've gotten my pre-order!! (To make it easy for other Kindle readers out there, here's the Amazon link http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B016VLBQC2 .)

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    3. Thank you! So kind of you to pre-order! I'm thrilled to bits with Summer and the Groomsman. Can't wait for release and hope you enjoy it. I had a ball writing it, that's for sure.

      I didn't realise G+'s growth was faster than Facebook's. Interesting indeed. I hope it does go on to attract reader fans. That would be cool. Facebook drives me nuts but I suspect that's because I only use it as a page and not a profile, which restricts me a lot. Still, give me G+ any day.

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  7. Hi Dee, thanks for your educational post. You are seriously across computers and their tools. Wish I could say the same about myself...

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    1. It's a learning curve Karen M Davis! I learned by playing. (I like to call 'trial and error' playing instead of research or work--LOL--makes it less onerous.) Jump in and have a go!

      Any Google+ questions you have? If I don't know the answer, the big Goog (web browser) usually has the answer! That's one of the benefits of Google+...the other applications that go with it like Google, Google Maps, Google Translate, etc...

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  8. Hi Dee, thanks for your post. I've never used Google+ so I had no idea of its possibilities until I read your post. I'm keen to learn more. The linking potential strikes me as a particularly powerful feature of this social media tool.

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