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| No, that's not me. Photo courtesy of morguefile.com |
Because I think there’s still a need to make time for and develop skills in social media. And I say this knowing that I’m one of those who was out there dancing and singing.
The thing is, research has proved the importance of making meaningful connections in social media. Honestly, we’ve sort of known this all along. And social media is still a quick and easy way to share good news, to ask for support from all those real connections.
But I know there are plenty of you still fighting the social media time and effort suck. So for you, I have a tool. It’s called Thunderclap, and it seems worth a look to me for both traditional and self-published authors.
Thunderclap, according to its website, works like an “online flash mob.” A whole group of people shares the same message at the same time. An author friend—someone whom I’m connected to and always happy to support—asked if I’d participate in her Thunderclap campaign for the launch of an anthology. An anthology is a particularly good use of Thunderclap because there could be anywhere from 10 to 100 writers involved. And if each writer asks his or her friends to sign on for the Thunderclap…well, that’s a pretty big kaboom of a campaign.
I signed on—it was easy—and then forgot all about it. Until I saw the Thunderclap promo on my feed. I saw it on a couple of other mutual friends of the author, and by the end of the day, the book they’d shared had made it to an astonishingly high peak on Amazon’s list of historical fiction.
Like a clap of thunder, the book garnered a sudden burst of attention. That’s something amazing, even if the book didn’t stay up there for long.
You can try the first level at Thunderclap for free, and see what happens. Granted, it won’t do everything, but it’s a bit of a shortcut for social media stuff. Then you’ll have more time for dancing and singing in the street. Which is what you should be doing in the first place, right?
~Cathy C. Hall
6 comments:
Thunderclap sounds interesting. I don't think I have a need for it yet, but will keep it in mind for later...
(And I am SURE one of those dancing women is you. Very clever, Cathy--hiding under a bright orange wig. ;)
I did Thunderclap for a book sale one time, and I thought it helped? But my book was also on sale for 99 cents which also helps. I think another thing Thunderclap does is remind your friends and family who are signing up to help you tweet, etc, that you are an author with something to promote. :)
This is a great tip, Cathy. I think anytime authors get together and support one another in a synchronized effort, they can make a big Ka-Boom! But Thunderclap can help organize that effort. Thanks for yet another great tip!
This is on the "must try" list for my next book. :)
Oh, I was so excited at the beginning of this post...all ready to jump off the couch and dance around my living room! Then you brought me back to earth. But the key point for me here is "meaningful" social media. I can do that. Thunderclap sounds like something I could definitely try, especially, as you suggested, for an anthology. Thanks for the great idea!
Yep, word-of-mouth still works best. But there's no doubt that having a social media tool helps get that word out there. Y'all let me know how it works for you!
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