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Do What Makes You Happy

What makes you happy?

I often wonder why we don’t do more of what makes us happy. If you love to cook, do more of that. Maybe you love hot air balloons – make it happen. Perhaps what makes you happy is spending an entire day with a good book and some sweet tea, uninterrupted.

What makes you happy?I’m guilty of not doing enough of what makes me happy. I’ve noticed that when I do make it a priority, it makes whatever else is going on more bearable.

What does this have to do with social media? We can all use social media in pursuit of that happiness. Follow your favorite chef, join an online group of hot air balloon enthusiasts so you can connect with like-minded folks, or join a Facebook book club. Of course you want to do all of these things IRL – In Real Life. What social media can do is enhance your experience by keeping you connected with your passion even when you can’t enjoy it in real life at that moment.

What make you happy? Share in comments!

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Social Media Resources for Authors

Social Media Resources for Authors

I’ve always been upfront with clients, authors and fans about social media, mentioning the ever-changing landscape on multiple occasions. The truth is there is a lot to keep up with in social media. It’s my profession, and I have to work at that every day myself. No wonder authors – and everybody – feel overwhelmed.

Social Media Resources for AuthorsWhat’s an author to do? If you are unable to invest in someone like me who can take on your social media for you, then it is up to you to keep abreast of the latest changes and best practices. You can do that with these resources and your own commitment to learning.

There are several resources I rely on, and I’ve shared a few excellent ones with you below.

Social Media Examiner

www.socialmediaexaminer.com

This site is easily the best resource on the biggest social media platforms and boasts an extensive archive of highly informative articles. They update every day, their posts are detailed and well-researched, and their contributors are well-known experts. Start here and refer to it often.

Recent article: Thought Leadership: How to Remain Top of Mind in Your Industry

Jon Loomer

www.jonloomer.com

Jon is THE expert in Facebook marketing. If you are a beginner at Facebook, get up to speed on the basics first using the site above. Then come back to Jon’s site and learn the more advanced aspects of how to utilize Facebook tools for the best return on your marketing investment.

Recent headline: The Missed Opportunity: How Brands Are Missing Out on Facebook

Rebekah Radice

http://rebekahradice.com

Rebekah discusses a variety of social media topics in well-written style and with excellent graphics for those of us who are visual learners. Her information is best-suited to beginner and intermediate social media users.

Recent headline:  How to Create Visual Content Your Audience Will Love

Much like you wouldn’t go a day without brushing your teeth, I suggest reading one social media article per day. You might divide your reading into weekly themes to get the most reading bang for your buck: Facebook, Twitter, Content Management, Tools, etc.

What information sources do you rely on to learn more about social media? Add to comments, I’d love to see them!

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Authors Behaving Badly: What NOT to Do on Social Media

Authors Behaving Badly: What Not to Do on Social Media

Authors are human. There, I said (wrote) it.

We have feelings. We have the same life stressors everyone else has. We work our butts off.

Authors Behaving Badly: What Not to Do on Social MediaWe don’t like it when we get negative reviews or comments on our pride and joy, our babies, our very souls also known as our books. It happens, and it happens to even the most popular and well-known authors.

There is more than one case of an author having a highly public meltdown online. The problem with this is that once it’s out there, there’s no taking it back. I don’t care if you delete it, give 97 reasons why you responded the way you did, make well-crafted and well-punctuated excuses, send flowers or a sing-o-gram, or even apologize – the Internet never forgets. Ever. Someone somewhere took a screenshot of your ugly words and posted it again. ON THE INTERNET.

Let me give you an example that happened on Twitter. An author, who shall remain nameless here, received a less-than-glowing review in the Boston Globe of her latest book by a reviewer of some renown, a reviewer with a long and esteemed literary career of her own.

The author didn’t tweet one response; she tweeted 27. Here are some of the words she used: “[blankity blank] is a moron.” “Now any idiot can be a critic.” “If you want to tell [blankity blank] off her phone is _____.”

Oh yes, she publicly posted the reviewer’s phone number and email address.

Oh my. My, my, my.

This is a perfect example how social media can be misused as a place to vent. That’s what BFF’s are for, people! Call up your best friend and vent every vile word you can think of. Drink wine. Go out for beer and darts. Take a nap. For the super-healthy types, go for a run, climb a fourteener or eat some tofu. I don’t care.

But DO NOT, under any circumstances, respond online to negative reviews or comments.

The end.

That’s it. That’s my number one bit of advice for authors on what not to do on social media.

Don’t be one of those authors that someone like me can easily find online as a bad example for yet another article.

How do you deal with negative comments posted about you online?