For those of you who don’t know, for my day job I work in social media, both for a company, and independently as a social media coach for writers. So for this week’s post, I’d like to offer a few free tips on how you can use social media effectively to reach readers, gain followers, and boost your writerly brand.

First, a few quick do’s:

DO:

• Share and promote your books, especially if you’re having a sale during the holidays. Books – both digital and print – make great gifts, so let people know what you have.
• Keep tweeting, sharing on Facebook, writing blogs, etc. Whatever sort of social media strategy you’ve been working during the past few months, keep it up. I know the holidays can make your schedule crazy, but don’t disappear off social media for the month of December. If you’re at all serious about building and maintaining a brand, consistency is vital.
• Share about what’s going in your life. Got invited to a swank Christmas party? Cat knocked over the tree? Just took the kids to see Santa? People want to know the real you behind your books! Be personable!

And now for a few don’t’s:

DON’T:

• Don’t be spammy with your book promotions. Yes, people want to know if you’re offering book one of the series free or you’re running a 99¢ special on Kindle, but people don’t want to see 500 tweets about it every day. Put a little variety into your content.
• Don’t overshare the personal stuff. People can laugh and cry with you over the cat demolishing your Christmas tree, but your fans and readers (and even personal friends) don’t need to know about the fight you just had with your in-laws or how stressed you’re feeling about money. Be relatable, yes, but professional, too.
• Don’t be offensive or antagonistic. If you want to say “Merry Christmas” all over your social media instead of “Happy Holidays,” go for it. But maybe think twice about firing off insulting tweets to anyone who prefers to use “happy holidays.” It’s impossible to please everyone all of the time, and trolls exist no matter what you do – but do your best to be peaceful and professional in all your online interactions. If people think you’re a jerk based on all of your recent Facebook posts, they probably won’t be very excited about buying your books.

So there you go – a few tips to keep your social media running smoothly through the holidays! (Actually, these tips are good year-round, not just at Christmastime.) Put yourself out there, be social, and have fun!