The Hidden Costs of Social Networking

Today we're having a guest blog from marketing specialist Rob Eager, President of Wildfire Marketing...

Facebook is great because Facebook is free, right? Same idea with Twitter, YouTube, and a host of other social networks popping up all over the Internet.  There’s no cost to join, and you get the ability to communicate with thousands of people all over the world. No wonder so many authors and publishers have jumped onto the social media bandwagon. But, are social networks really “free”? Instead, could using them cost you big-time?

There’s a basic economic principle that affects us everyday called “opportunity cost,” which is the cost of passing up another choice when making a decision. Put another way, it’s the benefits you could have received by choosing a different action. What does this have to do with selling books via social networks?

I’ve watched a lot of authors and publishers become avid social networkers who spend considerable amounts of time reading and maintaining their blogs, FaceBook pages, Twitter feeds, YouTube channels, etc. When you conservatively add up the hours that these people spend surfing and contributing to social sites, the total amount of time can easily reach over 10 hours a week! That’s over one-fourth of an author’s weekly time devoted to social networking activities. (Some people claim they spend only 15 minutes a day. But, they’re shocked when they actually track their hours.) My point is that if you’re going to spend 25% of a 40-hour work week on a specific marketing activity, then that activity ought to contribute at least 25% of your total book sales. Yet, I don’t see that happening.

At Book Expo 2009, John Sargent, the CEO of Macmillan Publishing stated, “Viral marketing doesn’t sell a ton of books.” He mentioned a video based on a Macmillan book that spent time in the # 1 spot on YouTube in the U.K. Yet it wound up only selling a whopping 200 extra copies 

One of my author clients has a blog with over 50,000 monthly readers. He spends a lot of time maintaining his huge social network. However, none of his new books have surpassed the sales of his older titles. Instead his book sales attributed to social networking activities represent a trickle, rather than a torrent of revenue. Ironically, this author is continually surprised by how many books he sells via more traditional activities, such as public speaking, sending newsletters, or national radio and TV interview. I remind him to stay balanced and keep the lion’s share of resources dedicated on tactics that truly work.

The time has come to get pragmatic over the return on investment in social networks. That’s because if online activity doesn’t create a lot of book sales or some form of significant revenue, then it’s time to re-focus on other marketing priorities. Notice that I didn’t say abandon social media altogether. I am not against social networks. Rather, don’t make them a prime area of marketing concentration. Social networks may help raise awareness, but if that awareness doesn’t create direct book sales then it shouldn’t be a top priority.

This may sound harsh, but it needs to be said. One reason why some authors and publishing marketing staff love social networking is because they lack the value, creativity, or people-skills to actively engage their target audience. Instead, they prefer to sit passively at their computer chatting on social networks thinking that they’re marketing their books. In reality, they’re spinning their wheels and making little progress capturing new readers. If you’re going to sell more books, you can’t preach to the choir. You’ve got to actively go out and make new converts.

For instance, let’s revisit the example of how many hours some authors or publisher marketing staff spent on social networking. If they re-allocated just 5 of the 10 hours spent online to conduct other marketing tactics, they could complete any one of the following activities listed in the table below during that week:

Authors: 1.   Write and send a newsletter to influential leaders. 2.   Develop a new keynote speech or workshop based on a book. 3.   Contact and follow up with 3 trade associations for speaking opportunities. 4.   Send out a press release that connects your book’s material to current events. 5.   Contact 3 - 5 organizations who could purchase bulk quantities of your book. 6.   Create 3 free resources for your author website. 7.   Write 1 - 2 chapters for your next book. 8.   Contact 3 - 5 well-known people who could endorse your books. 9.   Update your specific book pages on Amazon with tour dates, RSS blog feeds, videos, etc. 10. Attend a regional or national conference to build relationships with key leaders.

Publisher Marketing Staff: 1.   Send out 5 - 10 press releases for new titles. 2.   Develop a creative book trailer for a key author. 3.   Contact 3 - 5 authors to coordinate specific marketing plans with their schedules. 4.   Conduct research to identify new advertising opportunities. 5.   Prepare a media campaign for 1 - 2 frontlist titles. 6.   Notify purchasing contacts at key retailers about upcoming author appearances. 7.   Send galleys for 3 - 5 new titles to get reviewed in newspapers, blogs, or magazines. 8.   Engage in a half day of self-development to learn new marketing or management skills. 9.   Take time to actually read 2 - 3 upcoming frontlist titles to uncover powerful marketing hooks. 10.            Contact 2 - 3 large book clubs about carrying new titles.

After looking over this list, what makes more sense to you? Why spend excessive hours trawling the Internet for electronic “friends” when you can get your book in front of real people who can immediately buy it? The choice is yours. Social networking might be “free,” but there’s always a cost. Don’t miss the opportunity to maximize your time and book sales.

 

Rob Eagar is the president of WildFire Marketing who helps authors and publishers sell books like wildfire. He has trained over 200 authors, including nationally-known names, Gary Thomas, Chip Ingram, Lysa TerKeurst, and Mary DeMuth. Rob has also consulted with major publishing houses, including Zondervan, Howard Books, and Harvest House Publishers. For a free consultation, call 1-800-267-2045 or visit: www.StartaWildFire.com

 

 

Comments

[emily wierenga]

wow, this is very helpful! thank you.

[Holley]

Where I've found social networks to be most helpful is at the beginning of the process rather than after the book is written. I love engaging with readers--hearing their needs and understanding their hearts. It makes me write from a completely different place. When I put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard it becomes an act of response. In other words, social networks keep me from writing to and for myself.

I do believe social networks can help us sell books (within reason, as mentioned in this post). But if that's why we're engaging in those places then I think we're missing the greatest value these tools have to offer. For me, they are first and foremost about building relationships, knowing needs, and serving readers.

The ultimate Author chose to come into the world of His "readers" and we have more opportunities than ever before to do the same. That's amazing and, yes, let's do so wisely.

[Holley]

p.s. In other words, perhaps social networking is really more about writing books that sell (because we know and love our readers) than simply selling books.

[sally apokedak]

Great post. Thanks.

Good comments, too. Holley.

[Jan Cline]

Whoa. I love it when I see a breakdown presented like this. Very helpful information and great foot for thought - especially for those of us who are just starting to "build a platform".
thank you so much.

[Karyn Brownlee]

Fantastic post. I am convicted to the core about my missed opportunities in publishing and speaking over the past year due to becoming so overly engaged in social media. Thank you for your blunt remarks. Some, like me, need such frankness.

P.S. Albeit ironic, I will be tweeting this link asap. ;)

[Les Edgerton]

Great post! I'm including this link on my own blog today at www.lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/ and recommending folks take a look at it.

Great food for thought!

Blue skies,
Les

[Renee Gray-Wilburn]

Thank you, Rob, for your insight, and Chip for having Rob as a guest. I have often wondered if social networking really contributes to the bottom line of an author's work. In my mind it didn't, but I had no way of conducting the research to find out. I guess the real benefit is in helping to get your name out and possibly build your brand. I have a blog but that's about it...strictly because I just don't have the time.

[Johnnie]

I've spent the past few days updating my neglected blog/website, but I know I don't yet have a focused message. Though I'll continue to work on that, I appreciate the reassurance that social media aren't the only eggs in the marketing basket.

[Jodie]

Thank you, thank you! Y'all read my mind this week. I've been wondering if Twitter and Facebook are worth the time they suck up, since I've virtually ignored them both for a week. Fun, yes. Essential. No. Thanks Chip and Rob, for the perspective.

[Julie Gillies]

I've just come off of a 12-week blogging and Twitter break, taken primarily because I'd lost my focus. Though I'm wading back into the blogosphere, I won't be going back on Twitter; I found it distracting and a huge time suck.

I took Rob Eager's marketing courses last year at the She Speaks conference, and learned so much. I couldn't agree with you more, Rob.

Thank you, Chip, for providing writers with a voice of reason in a social-media gone mad world.

[Kirsten Strawn, The Faith Coach]

Thanks again Chip. Your insight and resources are always appreciated. Like everything it comes down to moderation.

I'm not heavily active in social networking, but I still find it steals my time, and more often I feel guilty that I'm not using Twitter and FB like everyone says I should be.

But no more. I'm encouraged to spend my time more wisely by plugging away at my writing and speaking and connecting for the right reasons, with a pure heart.

I once heard Lynn Vincent say to be a successful writer equals (B+C)-(I+P)350, translated as butt in chair minus internet and phone times 350 words. Then take a break to Social Network after you've done the work.

Feeling focused!

[Liz Babbs]

Superb, Rob. Thanks for posting this, Chip. I was coming to the same conclusion myself, as was my advisory group from church who felt too much of my time was being taken up (wasted) with Internet marketing rather than writing! The problem is that as authors we have been encouraged by tutors, agents and editors at US Christian writing conferences, that this is what we must do! I'm delighted to be 'set free'! I feel a 'Yippee' coming on.

[patriciazell]

I guess I look at social media a little differently than Rob and many of the commenters. I've been writing my book on my blog and I am building readership strictly through social media. I started with 845 visits my first month in July, 2009 and so far this month, I have 3,438 visits. I am hoping to significantly increase visits through social media this summer. I feel it's well worth my time to do this, so I can include the statistics in my book proposal.

[N. J. Lindquist]

I was at a mainstream mystery writers' convention this past weekend and several people were telling us to get on Facebook and get blogging, etc., etc. as if it was a brand new thing. And as if doing that was the most important thing we could be doing.

However, I totally agree with Rob. Been thinking these things for a while. I'm not against marketing and promotion, but I really don't think the social media variety of PR as done by most authors is worth the time and effort it takes. And I don't think most authors do it particularly well, either.

As a reader, I tend to either ignore or hide people I don't know who want to be my friend on Facebook (especially if they have over 1,000 other friends - I mean, come on! Are we back in grade school seeing who can get the most valentines?).

As for Twitter, I basically use my Twitter account to keep up with my favourite baseball and basketball commentators who tweet during games, etc. :)

The thing is, in real life I'm Clark Kent. Okay, Diana Prince (Wonder Woman's alter ego for those who don't recognize the name). I'm a normal average person who has four sons to keep track of (my youngest told me today he was in Italy a few weeks ago - you were where? And you didn't tell us you were going?) and four grandkids to spoil and clothes to wash and papers to put away and all that stuff.

Do other people really want to know about that? There's no way I can spout witty or intense thoughts all through the day while plotting my next book, wondering about my sons' whereabouts (the oldest just left for Montreal) or helping my grandkids with school assignments? I mean, I can maybe throw in a comment every day about how reviewers have compared my mysteries to the best of Agatha Christie's, but even if it's true (it is) how often do you really want to hear that?

To me, we're mixing two things (social networking opportunities and promotional marketing)and becoming the bores at the party who only want to talk about ourselves. (What's that joke? "But enough about me, let's talk about my book.")

I've been on various social media places, from My Space to FB to Library Thing, Twitter and about 6 other social media places, including a police site, for some time now (as in I was on FB when it was mostly university and high school kids - or so my youngest son told me when he discovered to his horror that I was there :) and it's a great place to keep track of family and friends I care about who live far from me, but the last thing I want there is to be marketed to, whether it's subtle or not.

If you want to market, have a fan page. I don't have one yet, but I'm linked to a few of those(okay, mostly musicians').

Just please, don't pretend you're my friend if you really don't know who I am. We both know better.

And my suggestion is to find one thing you enjoy doing that you do well, that has a concrete benefit for readers, and focus on that. Maybe it's a blog on the theme of your book, a place where you interview other authors, a resource site, or just a fun place to go. Tweet if you are good at pithy one-liners. But don't spread yourself all over the place and be all things to all people. it just won't work.

Honestly, I'd much rather writers were writing their next book and working hard at the craft of writing. Bottom line is that we need more great writing way more than we need a lot of meaningless tweets or updates or whatever you call them.

[Karyn Brownlee]

I loved this post so much, I just had to come back for a second helping and see how the conversation was going.

Patricia, congratulations on your great readership. I have always wondered, however, if any publisher would want to publish what is already available for the whole world to read. Also, will the 3,000 who have read your book online spend the money for a hard copy if they have already consumed the material? I honestly don't know the answer, but I have often wondered. Maybe Chip can tell us his thoughts.

N.J., you flat crack me up: "I mean, come on! Are we back in grade school seeing who can get the most valentines?" LOL! Seriously, I must add that I have discovered Facebook to be a great tool for bullying, not only for kids, but for adults, too. Kids bully by way of responses; adults bully through their lack.

N.J.: "To me, we're mixing two things (social networking opportunities and promotional marketing)and becoming the bores at the party who only want to talk about ourselves. (What's that joke? "But enough about me, let's talk about my book.")" This is why on Facebook I have recently created two accounts - one for family and friends, and another for my ministry posts. Amazingly, I have much more activity on both pages.

N.J.: "But don't spread yourself all over the place and be all things to all people. it just won't work." - Amen.

[chip responds]

My take: I think social networking is for making FRIENDS not making SALES. In fact, I have a tendency to quickly hit the delete button when it's clear someone is going onto Facebook just to try and sell me something. I see enough commercials on the web -- don't need them on my Facebook page.

[Robyn Roste]

Great article. Thanks :)

[Daniel Decker]

As someone else who also helps authors with marketing and sales (like Rob), I think the core of what Rob is saying is true but like all things... BALANCE is the key word.

Part of the problem is that many authors and even many publishers simply don't know how to properly engage social media in a way that produces results. Simply showing up and Tweeting or Facebooking a link to a book is not going to convert.

It's like being at a party. If no one knows you and you just start talking, they're likely to pay you little attention. BUT, if over time they begin to TRUST you and RESPECT you then, and only then do you have the credibility and influence for them to act upon your suggestions (products, books, etc).

It takes time and it must be genuine to work. You must engage, add value and create relationships.

And, like Rob said... there is an opportunity COST for that. Don't sink ALL of your waking hours into Social Media but rather create BALANCE and priorities. Do those more immediate tangible things like Rob listed but also build your following by building your trust.

It's when these strategies COMBINE that a real impact can be made.

[Daniel Decker]

Let me add... Seth Godin has a great post that puts all of this into perspective (in a unique sort of way). He has a term saying "But what have you shipped." Meaning, connections and social, etc are great and important but it's what you do with them... what movement you create or what products you ship, that matters.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/05/but-what-have-you-shipped.html

[Cheryl Russell]

Good post. I've never understood how the number of "friends" on FB means anything significant. A large number of "friends" doesn't mean what is getting posted is getting read. I've hidden a lot of people that I don't know who use their status to frequently post trite information, so if they finally do have something significant to share, odds are, I won't see it.

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of FB, twitter (where I have people split into lists for the same reason--I only check certain lists once a day and other lists far less frequently) to begin with?

[Emily Casey]

While I agree that spending excessive hours on social media is a big time-waster, spending an hour or two a day can help an author tremendously! Even as an aspriing author, I've doubled my bolg readership in the last month via social networking. These are potential readers and word-of-mouthers.
But 5-10 hours a day? Yes, that's ridiculous.

[Emily Casey]

Sorry, I realize you said 5-10 hours a week.
I do my social media when I'm at home and there are too many distractions (kids mostly) to be able to write.
But thank you for posting some alternatives.

[Linda Clare]

I'm teaching a new college writing class this term about Platform, and students are busy getting up to speed on all this social networking stuff. The article offers a different perspective and I'm using it to balance the material I present. I counsel my students to set strict time limits on their pages to keep that "time payment" to a minimum. However, I must point out that as a result of sites such as FB, Twitter and SL, my recent Kindle freebie for my novel The Fence My Father Built generated additional real sales in the thousands within a two week period. Something must be going on.

[anaisnais]

Thankyou... Great advice and new ideas for me to boot! For the most I use a mixture, I use the primary site I write to, which also offers a free website/blog/journal and other. This then allows me to share with facebok and twitter. The counter on the blog allows me to see the traffic passing through the site that I'd normally see as far fewer without linking - I've tried and tested this, and to me each person passing through is a potential sale and to link is costing me a few seconds at the end of my write is all. Okay so I'm not printing yet but starting to look for suitable publisher I can trust with my works...

This said I also blog elsewhere, much done through copy and paste, saving time, although I admit to still needing find a proper routine for this... Although my situation is different in needing to hold the numbers more so because of times I'm not around due to health, and not being able to get into the public eye in person unless someone can physically take me due to my disabilities... I need this presence, and folk seem fairly understanding but without the social networks I've compared to other sites where I don't use them and the numbers fall away... I'm now trying to learn about SEO and websites, and looking for free materials to use on site, although I think we have to be careful how many of these to put there so as not to be pushing a prospective sales attention in another direction, that they forget to come back to us and spend elsewhere... Off to re-read and learn of your other suggestions...Thanks again...

[Rob Eagar]

From Rob Eagar:

I want to thank Chip for posting my article on his blog and for all the comments that readers posted. I would have responded earlier, but my wife's father just passed away and we've been focused on dealing with the family issues.

I appreciate all of the positive feedback on my content, and I hope my information provides a balanced point of view to growing your author platform. If you feel this article was helpful, I offer over 20 other free articles that everyone is welcome to read on my website at: www.startawildfire.com/freeresources.html

Thanks

[Abby Gaines]

A very thought-provoking post, thanks!

[Julie Cohen]

Your list of other things to do instead of social networking is extremely useful. Thank you! I'll do some of those things tomorrow instead of surfing Facebook.

Honest. I will.

[www.tianasmith.com]

Thank you for saying what needed to be said. I have long felt the same way, but whenever I voice my opinions, people scoff and refuse to even hear me out. It's so nice to see it broken down like this because I finally feel justified.

I think social media is great for its own reasons, but I don't think it should take over your life in the name of marketing. Unfortunately, I see that happening all the time. The thing that kills me is when I see pre-published authors spending hours upon hours on social networking thinking that it will help them land an agent.

I'm not saying I don't like social media, I'm just saying that you should focus on the other things that need to get done first, like writing a book. After that, you need to carefully consider what methods you want to take in your marketing.

Personally, there was only one time that I went out and bought a book because of someone's social media efforts. Yes, I buy from word of mouth sometimes, but usually not because I follow that author's Twitter stream.

[Gary Ponzo]

I agree with a lot of what was said in the piece. The only thing I would take issue with is that one connection you might make with social media which could open up a door for future sales or a relationship you otherwise wouldn't have. There's still value there. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to have written a really good book. A good book plus social media equals more value.

[Kristen Lamb]

Thanks for the blog, but I must respectfully disagree. Social media, done properly, is one of a writer's most powerful marketing tools. Granted, there are a lot of writers wasting time on social media, but only because they are not employing strategy and they are mistaking activity with productivity.

I helped design a social media campaign for the DFW Writer's Workshop Conference here in DFW and we sold out two days after early registration when other conferences were suffering in the economic downturn. Additionally, I have built social media sites for best-selling authors; Twitter feeds that have translated into large demonstrable sales.

There is a right way to do social media. If you are on there under a moniker, tweeting nonsense and sending farm animals on FB, then there isn't a lot of return. But, if you get on social media with a marketing plan, your reach can go global.

So a writer spends ten hours a week on social media. We are basically a small business. If we were the owner of a coffee shop or pizzaria, then ten hours a week on marketing would be more than reasonable.

Unless you are one of the bigger authors, you aren't going to get a lot of PR money from a publisher, and most agents now are wanting a writer to be able to demonstrate they have a platform for NF and Fiction.

I think writers would be better served learning to do social media well, with a marketing plan in mind. To deny it's effect on consumers and the future of purchasing in general is just...foolish.

[Kathy]

Thank you for your excellent and timely advice.

[Michelle Witte]

While I appreciate the intent of this post, I'm not sure I completely agree with all of the assertions and assumptions. In reality, traditional marketing aimed at anyone younger than 40 just doesn't work like it does for older generations.

Having worked for several years as both a reporter and editor at newspapers, I found most press releases trite, uninformative, filled with jargon, and not very useful. That's because the publicists didn't know how to sell to a modern audience.

As other commenters have mentioned, it's *how* you use these resources that makes the difference, not the amount of time you spend. A savvy author can spend two hours on social networking a week and make that time as valuable as someone who spends 10 hours doing the same thing. It's not even about moderation. It's being *smarter* in how we do things.

Honestly, no one knows the magic bullet for capturing modern audiences. Internet ads don't work. People skip commercials with TiVo. Radio ads are becoming obsolete as more people move to Syrius and other subscription radio without commercials. Most younger people don't get a newspaper delivered to them, so those ads don't work, either.

Innovation will be key to finding a successful route to marketing, but that does take time and it takes a willingness to make mistakes. So I agree that marketers and authors shouldn't use social media as an excuse to not pursue other marketing opportunities, but I don't think returning to old methods (quickly becoming ineffective) is the answer either.

But thank you for furthering the discussion, because without analyzing how our social-media habits are affecting sales, we are very likely spinning our wheels.

[Pat Layton]

Rob, I love the way that you cut to the chase. It is sometimes painful to hear but your wisdom is obvious and very true.
I have really been wondering lately about the amount of time I spend doing this network media stuff. Like READING this blog and all of the comments, then taking time to comment back.
15 minutes...gone!!
Point made!

[Madelle Morgan]

Yes, authors need to be concerned about the time suck attached to social media. On the other hand, it is a mystery to me how readers, aka regular folks with day jobs, kids, and extra-curricular activities, have time available to READ an endless stream of tweets, Facebook and blog posts, e-mail, etc. How do people fit that all into their day? If they are following tweeters they are likely not reading novels...

[green girl in Wisconsin]

A person could spend literally years of their life and not effectively market online. I've often suspected what you wrote to be true, but I've never investigated it quite so thoroughly. Thanks for this post!

[Rerto Jordans]

The blog article very surprised to me! Your writing is good. In this I learned a lot! Thank you!