WLC Author PR 101—Social Media should be Fun—Bring on the Fun—Pinterest!

Let's face it, Social Media is work, and the less enjoyable it is, well, the less likely that you'll be to continue at it. Creating short sound bytes (140 characters or less) about a book is not that enjoyable. Being a PR and marketing hack is not a good time, most writers would prefer to share the ever popular photos of drunken debauchery on Facebook that often passes for Social Media content. Don't despair, there is an answer. Time to introduce Pinterest.

Pinterest is a technocolor glimpse into your intimate thoughts and desires. Online scrapbook pages, called 'pinboards,' allow you to create a combination wish/brag book. You 'pin' online images onto your boards to showcase fashion and home products, blogs, recipes, travel destinations, craft projects, etc. Frankly, it's a brilliant concept.

I'd Never Join Any Club that Would Have Me…

You'll soon wonder how you ever survived without Pinterest. It's non-stop fun, checking out other people's pins and finding your own images to pin your boards. You know it's a killer app when you can't just join, automatically, but you need an 'invite' to participate!

OK, here are some quick background links on Pinterest. An overview/cheatsheet and an introductory video are somewhat helpful, but what you really need to understand about Pinterest is that it can provide the most colorful testimonials for you and your products (a good example of book marketing on the site is Random House Publishing) and that Pinterest users are prequalified shoppers who spend more per average than users of any other Social Media!

Well, I'm a total newbie to Pinterest, as are most people, as it has only been around since 2011. Yup, it's brand new, but growing like gang-busters. I needed a seasoned veteran to show me the ropes. Jen Daiker is a Chick Lit author and she has a healthy 15 boards assembled on Pinterest. She has such whimsical board topics as 'Food & Beverages I can't say no to' and 'Fashion I wish I could get away with.' I developed a sore fingertip from hitting 'Like' on all her pins. Dessert Kabobs—I'm there; that cute little black dress—I want it.

Discovering Your New Favorite Author—Priceless

Jen went from being a total stranger to this cool chick that I'd adore to have for a best friend. If not my BFF, at least, she's someone that I'd like to exchange holiday cookies with, or perhaps, raid her closet, because she has really great taste. Let me tell you, this has to be the most compelling and interesting way to be introduced to a new author. I just had to sit Jen down and ask a few pertinent questions about her journey on Pinterest and how other authors could be using this Social Media platform.
 

She actually started out blogging, as most of us writers do (hey, that's our skill set), "From there I slowly tacked on more social networking sites, until I felt overloaded and the monster of Social Media begun!" A writer friend had shared with her how amazing that she had found Pinterest. "I was invited and from there, have never stopped." Jen has graciously offered to invite anyone who reads this article and wishes to join Pinterest. Send her an email, tweet, or contact her via Facebook, and she'll take care of it.

Jen joined, at first, just to pin things that she loved. "When I was over the 'addiction' phase, I started creating more meaningful boards—some for Chick Lit inspiration and others for my Young Adult stories. In the end, I found it was just another way to inspire my writing. I could create a story while I was working on another, without putting anything into words."

Build It and They Will Come

Her best piece of advice for authors wanting a Pinterest presence is to build boards for an audience of one, yourself. "You can create boards and later delete them, if you decide that you hate them. It's completely up to you! If I've learned anything, it's to have fun and to be yourself… People who like you, will follow. Not being true to yourself only makes you tired, in the long run, and less successful in Internet land."

She further suggests that you should just jump right in and start pinning. She started with a board that she named 'I pin because I can' and ran with it. "Have fun with it. Don't think too much about it. Just pin what you like and the boards will form themselves."

You may purchase Jen's books at Amazon and directly at Still Moments Publishing. Be sure to follow her witty and amusing blog as well as her Pinterest Boards.

Author PR 101 Blogger: Carrie Green

Carrie provides marketing and PR services in the technology field.  Her media hits include BusinessWeek, CFO, CIO, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Computerworld, Crain's Chicago Business, Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, Industry Standard, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal, among many others.  Projects have ranged from PR to digital content marketing along with the promotion of traditionally published business books from McGraw-Hill, Jossey-Bass (Wiley), and Edward Elgar Publishing.  She is the bestselling horror author of Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue and Sugar Is Sweet.

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