Too Much Information #IWSG #AmWriting

Do you ever feel like this?


I'm trying to be a good little author and learn more about marketing so that my books can find their audience, and it's awesome to have all these online resources literally at our fingertips, but MAN! There is so much freaking information out there! And everything's always changing, advice often conflicts, and it's just plain impossible to absorb everything.

So I'm simplifying. I just opted out of a whole bunch of Facebook groups, staying in only those I've actually found to be helpful in the past, and I'm going to focus on learning one tiny new thing at a time rather than trying to learn everything and thereby learning nothing.

My latest tiny new thing was to figure out Twitter cards. I noticed that some Thunderclap auto-tweets include a nice picture, some have no picture, and some have really awful blurry pictures. Websites that are set up correctly for Twitter cards are the ones that get the fabulous pics. That's why it's always safest to link back to your own site---assuming it's all set for Twitter cards, that is. I won't overload you with the details, but I have a Wordpress site, so if you have one, too, and you want to learn how to make sure its Twitter cards are nice & shiny, I found this article SO helpful (scroll to Yoast SEO plugin).

And hey, speaking of Thunderclap, would you please, please join mine?

THANK YOU!


This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.

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Comments

Nicola said…
Marketing can blow you mind! Your strategy of focusing on certain aspects that work for you is the best solution. Techniques and strategies will develop in time. It's like anything, we have to go through the learning process in order to make any headway - and that takes time. Wishing you lots of luck and stay sane :)
L. Diane Wolfe said…
I love that album.

There is just so much out there and it changes - constantly. I know I only touch a fraction of it in my 3-hour seminars, but writers still walk away with overload. It's best to limit efforts and learn one thing at a time.
It really can be so overwhelming! I know I don't do nearly enough when it comes to marketing, and I need to find a better balance.
Lexa blogged about images for Twitter. Smart idea.
Be glad to help with the Thunderclap.
Arlee Bird said…
I've become so saturated with information that it all starts to run together and I can hardly remember anything. It's nice to have access to so much marketing potential though. It's especially nice when you have some idea what to do with all of that potential.

Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Chrys Fey said…
I just did a Thunderclap campaign and would've liked images to have been used with the tweet so people are more likely to see it, but I've never seen a Thunderclap tweet with an image before. I've never heard of Twitter cards, so I'm definitely going to look into that. Thanks for the link!
Thanks, Nicki! I'm switching to WordPress, so this will come in handy. Have a great day.
I clapped!!! Love your cover and your book sounds amazing!

Marketing is mind boggling! Enough said...
Carrie-Anne said…
I agree! There are so many awesome resources for marketing out there, but it can be hard to keep track of everything.
I think you have an excellent plan. I stopped trying to do everything too and cutting back on Facebook groups was part of that.
Marketing is the hardest! Your plan sounds excellent!
Murees Dupè said…
I know the feeling. These days when I read books about marketing I actually thing about what suits my personality and what I want to achieve and just leave the rest. Congrats on learning something new. It must be a wonderful feeling.
Tamara Narayan said…
I've never heard of Twitter Cards either. I do need to join the Twitter party though. It's overdue.
Juneta key said…
You gave me food for thought. Congrats and I shared your Thunderclap.
Happy IWSG belated,
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
Nick Wilford said…
Definitely can seem overwhelming. I think focusing on two or three areas that you're strong in is key. Don't know what a Twitter card is though, so I'll need to look into that!
I joined the Thunderclap through Twitter! Good luck and congratulations!
Too much information leads to too much procrastination for me. Sometimes when I Google something I end up reading random Wikipedia entries about 1980s horror movies or old news articles about celebrities.
Loni Townsend said…
Woot, thanks for the link about the Twitter Cards! I'll have to make sure my site meets up to criteria. I've joined the Thunderclap. Hope it's successful!
F. Stone said…
Wise woman, you are my dear friend. I tried to follow the instructions (I'm with WP but not Yoast; couldn't find the page for us non Yoast folks to make the changes - not yet.) Can anyone out there loan me their five year old computer wiz kid to help me, LOL? Good luck during the thunderclap. :)
Jennifer Lane said…
Wow, I TOTALLY blanked on IWSG. Whoops! Life too crazy. I've never heard of Twitter cards but I'm glad you're learning about them so you can teach me! So excited for When It Hooks You!
dolorah said…
Yep; I've been overwhelmed with TMI sometimes. It begins to repeat itself after a while.
Anonymous said…
Good site.

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