Social media presence as a writer

Using social media to get our writing out into the world can be an amazing opportunity. It helps market our works and hopefully, gain a following that will continue to benefit from our writing. But it can also be a curse. Because of so many social media platforms, most writers languish in obscurity and end up spending more time marketing their writing than just…writing.

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Here is the guide to help authors understand the erratic world of social media for writers and authors. Here are some of the better social media platforms for writers, how to best approach them, and which writers are doing it right. 

By and far, Twitter is extremely useful for anyone trying to have success as an author, especially as a self-published fiction author.

Does this mean it’s the best platform for you and your specific book? Not always.

While we recommend every writer be on Twitter, there may be other social platforms better suited for your audience. Meaning, that certain people of varying ages and interests use different social platforms. You’ll have to understand where your audience is if you want to operate on the best social media platform for you.

So how do you pick the best social platforms for you as a writer? First and foremost, consider your target audience. Where are they most likely to “hang out” on the Internet?

Facebook remains the most popular social network in the world, with nearly 200 million active users in the US. Its core user base is young, perhaps surprisingly so (65% under 35), and skews male (57%). Data also suggests that about half of Facebook users belong to a Facebook Group, which is good for authors who wish to market this way — and as we discuss below, it’s also one of the best platforms for author ads.

Instagram has 120 million active users in the US, 70% of whom are under 35, with an even gender split. Perhaps most notably for those looking to build an enthusiastic following, Instagram engagement is through the roof — 1% across all industry brands (which might seem low, until you compare it to Facebook’s 0.25% and Twitter’s 0.08%).

Pinterest, the other big image-sharing platform, has about 100 million users in the US. A whopping 30.4% of these users are women aged 25-34 — for context, this group makes up about 17% of Instagram users and 13% of Facebook users. If that’s your target audience, do keep Pinterest in mind.

Twitter has fewer active users than the other major platforms here — 68 million in the US, about 62% male — as it’s primarily meant for sharing news and ideas, rather than as a purely social app. But it boasts a dedicated user base and is very popular among writers, who tend to prefer platforms that focus on the written word.

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