Rose McCauley, Christian Author

Fridays with Friends--Cherie Burbach

God must be trying to teach me something about social marketing because I went to a local conference about it this week, my spotlight on Monday was about J. Steve Miller's book on marketing, and now when I opened Cherie's post it is also about a form of social marketing! Twitter is new to me, and probably to others, so read on to find out some great advice from Cherie. Her post post is specifically geared toward Christian authors and how they can use Twitter, including some links with resources on connecting with other Christian authors on the site.
How Christian Authors Can Use Twitter
by Cherie Burbach

If you're a Christian author and looking for ways to promote your work and connect with others, Twitter is a wonderful option. You only need to spend a few minutes a day on the site in order to receive benefits like these:

Connect With Other Christian Authors

Networking doesn't just involve saying hello on Twitter (although you can do that as well), but by connecting you are also helping to promote others. This lets you give back to the writing community, and also helps your readers. After all, if they enjoy reading your work (and thus, follow you) they might enjoy another author's books, too.

How do you find Christian authors on Twitter? Here are some lists and links to get you started.

• Christian Book Videos (list of Christian authors on Twitter)
• Everyday Christian (list of Christian authors on Twitter)
• We Follow (a list of Christian writers and resources you can follow individually)
• Vessel Project (provides a list on Twitter you can follow)

Since the Internet tends to change quickly, you can also find authors by checking out their webpages or blogs, searching for them online (since their Twitter account usually comes up on the first page of their search results), and using the Twitter search box to look for some combination of "Christian" "author" "writer" or "books."

Promote Your Favorite Bible Passages

Do we ever get enough of hearing God's word? When I'm on Twitter, it's amazing to me how I will be feeling (low, happy, grateful, sad) and I'll see someone tweet a Bible passage that completely speaks to me. You can do this as well by tweeting out your favorite passages, or sharing one that really lifted you up that day.

Promote Your Projects

Sure, you can use Twitter to promote your books and articles, but most Christian authors I know also have a passion for something else. For me? Diabetes etiquette and awareness. I retweet helpful posts I find on the subject and try to help educate folks on the best way to help their diabetic friend or family member.

If you have a charity or community project you're passionate about, Twitter is a wonderful resource for this. Tweeters generally respond very well to getting the word out by retweeting or commenting on tweets related to good works.

Author Bio:

Cherie Burbach is an author, blogger, poet, crocheter, and geek. She is the About.com Guide to Friendship and has penned eleven books and ebooks, including Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza and 21 Ways to Promote Your Book on Twitter. She has published over 500 articles on the subjects of health, sports, and lifestyle. For more info, visit her website, http://www.cherieburbach.com/.