Instagram for Booklovers

Instagram is my favorite social media. Well, that and Pinterest. Probably because I work with words all day long and need a photo break. Even if you aren't a penmonkey, though, Instagram is the place for you. There's something for every booklover, but here are a few of my faves . . .

LitQuotesDaily
A daily fix of witty or snarky or quotes that just make you go ahhh.

SubwayBookReview
This account asks strangers on the subway what they're reading and what they think of it.

BookBaristas
Coffee and books. Win, win.

LilitsLittleLibrary
Clean cut, awesome book pix.

TheLittleBookshelf
A combination of fashion and books.

FictionNotFriends
Nature. Books. Beautiful backdrops.

MichelleGriep
Travels, textures, things that inspire. . . a view of the world by moi.

Tweet Power

I'm no social media guru, nor do I want to be. I do, however, want to know when the best time is to tweet so that people actually see what I'm saying. After a little digging, I unearthed some great information for all you tweeters out there.

The absolute best time to post a tweet is between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. Yes, that's right, AM.

I know what you're thinking . . . What the heck? Who in the world looks at Twitter in the middle of the night? Nobody!

Well, actually, you'd be wrong about that, Hoss. According to a massive four-year study put out by Buffer, that window of time is the best opportunity for you to get the most engagement with your Tweets exactly for that reason . . . not that no one will look at it, but that there are less people posting at that time.

You see, the most popular time to tweet is the middle of the day in most time zones, which makes for a lot of clutter on everyone's feed. That's why the 2-3 time slot is gold -- less clutter.

But if you're like me and happen to nearly always be sleeping in the wee hours of the night, here's an even better bit of information: the next best tweeting time is between 8:00 and 11:00 p.m.

Happy tweeting, little buddies!

Facebook Likefest: Fruitful or Frivolous?

I took part in a Likefest this weekend. No, it didn't involve running naked through the woods or toking the wacky weed at a Woodstock-esque rock-n-roll blowout. This Likefest was simply a concerted effort by a writer's group to drive up the the number of "Likes" on our Facebook pages.


Why would I do such a thing? Honest and shameful answer: pride. Who doesn't want to see a big "like" number, whether on Facebook or in any other venue? Yeah, I know the single most important like is to have God's stamp of approval through what Christ did on the cross, but doggone if my flesh doesn't do a Snoopy dance when someone likes me. 


Once the shallow zing wore off, though, I started to wonder if there were any other benefit to increasing a Facebook Like #. So I did a little research, and here are the results...


Is there any value to random Facebook page likes?


"There is some value from having a large volume of people liking a page for SEO, social proof, and the fact that all these people still see the updates to your wall in their news feed."

(taken from PRLOG)

"Likes" have grown to be a measurement tool used by distributors and stores when deciding on stocking their shelves with little known brands, by advertisers who have made note of Facebook "Likes" before placing their ads in hard copy publications, and by any kind of business associate who regards "Likes" as a point of reference as to where a brand stands among their competitors."

(taken from Creative Concepts)

"Big companies like McDonalds and Coca-Cola have been collecting Facebook fans (likes) for quite some time because they have already discovered that all of those fans helped increase their profits."

(taken from Social Networking Success)

"The value in using social media is that every person, every Like, comes with their own network that can be activated in an instant, and at no additional cost, for the organization." 

(taken from Allison Fine)

I realize that the Likes on my page aren't all from ardent gotta-buy-your-next-book-or-die kind of fans, but you know what? I don't care. For now, I'll just bask in the pretend world of being well liked.

The Rocks I Hide Under

Think of this as a friendly public service announcement, minus the annoying music. I've been asked where I can be found...other than here, that is...so here's a few links:

Pinterest

This place is crack for middle-aged women. It's a great place to keep my storyboards, though (at least that's what I tell my husband).

Facebook

Seriously, who's not on Facebook?

Twitter

I'm still a relatively new tweeterista so I haven't quite hit my stride there yet. I mean, do I pop in to say I'm currently eating a garbanzo bean roll-up and then post active updates on the result of said bean extravaganza, or is that just wrong?

Linked in

Generally I'm on my best behavior here, being it's for professionals. Hmm. Wonder who looked the other way when I slipped in?

Tumblr

This is where all the little hipsters hang out. Not that I'm little, or hip, come to think of it, but there I am in all my glory. So far I've just uploaded vlogs but I think I'll start throwing in a bit of poetry now and then just to spice it up a bit.

The first & third Saturdays on Novel Rocket.

This is a shop talk kind of site, all about writing and publishing. You can rub elbows with some biggies in the publishing industry if you check in frequently.

The 25th of each month at The Barn Door.

Honestly, I wouldn't know a barn from a silo. I'm a city girl. But for some odd reason, the crew at Barn Door asked me to join, so I did. Maybe I'm their Midwest urban explorer. Hey! Great idea for my next post!

And whenever I feel like it, you can find me at the WordServe Water Cooler.

This is my newest venture. Definitely everything you wanted to know about writing and publishing. Two thumbs up (and not just because I'm there).

Oh yeah, last but not least, I can also be found on my own website.

If I'm going to be speaking or signing, this is the site that keeps track of my whereabouts.

There you have it. I encourage you to check out these sites not just because my ego is the size of Brazil, but because each place is unique in the aspects that it covers.

And if you've got a favorite haunt that you think I should know about, share the love via a comment.

Pinteresting

DAY 42

Word Count: 26,970

Sentence of the Day: Before she could answer, he set a brisk pace, feeding off her protests to slow up and using her indignation to cool the warmer feelings he ought not entertain.

Yeah. I did it. I've successfully avoided Facebook for years and now I've gotten totally sucked into the vortex of Pinterest.

Lest you think I've contracted some dread disease, let me explain a bit about this website. It's a visual bulletin board. You find images that inspire you and 'pin' them up on one of your bulletin boards. You decide what boards you want. You decide what pictures you want. Where to get these pix? Anywhere. Other pinners. Your camera. The web. Those are just some ideas.

Currently the big draw for me is that it's January in Minnesota. Have you ever been to Minnesota in January? Enough said, then.

But even if you don't live in the frozen tundra and are desperate for escape, this is one site that you really should check out.

5 Writerly Benefits of Joining Pinterest

- It's one more venue to connect with your readers

- You can make storyboards for your current WIP and/or your published pieces

- You'll find loads of inspiring images to whip up some ideas for a new story

- Check out what pix other authors use to kick-start their muse

- It's a quick-fix for writer's block

So, come on in. The water's fine. If you're still a little nervous, though, you can wade in by visiting my page at Michelle's Boards to get a glimpse of what it's all about.