The Value of Social Media for Writers

For most writers, social media is an important part of building an engaged audience. If you’re unconvinced or unsure of how to use social media to reach your readers, Emily Ley, author and founder of Simplified, gives writers three valuable reasons to get started.

Social media builds a community around your work.

One of the best ways to build a community around your work is to connect with your readers online. Social media gives writers the opportunity to engage in a personal and informal way and allows readers to respond directly to your message in real time.

Regularly interacting with your audience online helps you create a loyal readership, which can be beneficial if you hope to publish a book someday. While the number of followers you have is important if publishing is your goal, Emily explains that engagement with your readership is a better measure of the effectiveness of your message. 

She says, “I would rather have a hundred followers who are engaged and really believe in what we’re all about and want to have a conversation than have a hundred thousand that aren't.” 

Social media flexes different writing muscles.

Different social media platforms can offer writers the chance to practice writing in a new way. Twitter helps writers learn how to be concise. Facebook allows for longer written pieces and video. Instagram offers writers a variety of ways to share their message through static posts, stories, and reels. You might find yourself on one or more of these platforms, depending on your writing goals and where your audience likes to hang out online. 

Writers of longer-form work will need to flex their editing muscles to make their message fit within social media's limitations. Social media helps writers grow in clarity, brevity, and creative storytelling. If you’re just starting out, choose one platform and learn a new skill set that will benefit your writing as a whole.  

Social media allows for testing new ideas and creativity.

Many seasoned writers test out ideas on social media to see how they resonate with readers before committing to a longer piece on the topic. If you want to explore some new ideas in your writing, social media is a great place to start. If a particular idea gains traction, you might consider writing a blog post or article to reach your larger readership and see how it resonates with a wider audience.

Social media also offers many possibilities for creativity that aren’t available to writers when writing a blog post, article, or book. If you’re feeling stuck in your writing, try sharing your message through a video, a live conversation, or a photo. You never know if this type of creative storytelling might spark something fresh for you and resonate with your readers. 

Are you ready to give social media a try? Click here for free access to the entire conversation with Emily Ley and take one step toward balancing the art of writing with the business of publishing.