The What, Where, and When of Social Media...

There’s no disputing that social media is a powerful tool. It can make you in one breath and cancel you in the next. Navigating its ever-changing landscape can feel like learning to fly during a hurricane. 

When trying to grow your following, it can at times seem like an impossible task. There’s so much to consider! From the best days and times to post, what kind of content to share, which platforms are worth it, and which ones are just where creativity goes to wither away and die in a shadowy corner. Let’s not forget the trends that are always changing, can sometimes be confusing, and on occasion give the ick. Colors, layouts, fonts, graphics, music... and a partridge in a pear tree. 

As I prepare to publish Savaged this winter (yep, another shameless plug ;), I’ve been thinking about the kind of presence I want to have online. I know I want to be intentional about what I post, where I post it, and when I hit share. But I also want to do it in a way that feels like me. I’m not here to reinvent myself for the social media gods. I want to attract followers who genuinely enjoy my voice and writing style (and my quirkiness too). Those who find my posts interesting and worthwhile. I want to make people smile and feel open to interacting with me and others who follow me. 

I believe content should authentically represent who you are and what you’re trying to say. For me, that means a combination of many things, such as... book teasers, my random thoughts, and information about me so you can get to know a little about what I'm like. Oh, and of course, some memes thrown in for good measure too! As far as trends, if they resonate with me, I’ll join in. If they don’t, I'm not going to force it. 

I think it's also important to figure out which platforms you enjoy most. In my case, right now, I'm open to trying several of them but in the end, I'm not sure if I'll stay on all or pick my top few and really put my focus there. As a mom, wife, full-time employee, I need to be realistic about the amount of time I can put into social media. I know I'll stay on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads but I'm unsure about TikTok and X.  I'm just exploring those now and will have to see what I think. 

Let's move on to the elusive best times to post. Mondays at 9 a.m.? Saturdays at noon? I swear there are a million different opinions about this. I'm sure timing can affect reach but it's exhausting trying to figure that all out. I don't think so much value should be placed on hitting some magical peak hour. Let's hope that for most people, consistency and solid content matters more than perfection.

I understand why it's beneficial to post regularly but, in my case, I don't always want to post just because it's time to post. I want my content to be meaningful to me and hopefully to my followers as well. If inspiration should hit me on a random Friday night, I don't want to wait until some algorithmic palm reader tells me it'd be better to wait and post Thursday morning. That being said, I am doing my best to come up with a posting schedule because it helps me plan and stay on track with my marketing. However, if there's additional content I come up with or something gets me excited, I plan to post outside my schedule if it's what feels right in the moment.

Social media shouldn't be about mastering the algorithm or pleasing the masses. In my opinion, it should be about connecting. To me, that means with readers, fellow authors and creatives, and with the people who see my posts and find joy in them. Of course, all that being said, I'm only human and I do still get super excited when people like my posts, share my posts, and leave kind or funny comments.

So, in closing, if you’re also trying to grow your following, whether as an author (like me), a business, or just because you enjoy sharing your thoughts with others... remember you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be yourself and let those who are attracted to your personality follow along with you on your journey!

If there are any tips you've found helpful when it comes to social media, I'd love for you to share them with everyone in the comments.

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