Creating: Social Media - Getting Started

Some of you may have noticed the snazzy new buttons in the right sidebar beneath between my profile and the followers button.

I have finally joined the rest of the world in the phenomenon we call social media.

For most of you, all of this is old hat. I'm still learning all the ropes - and I mean ALL. Let me start at the beginning.

My newly designed website  - www.carolkilgore.net - went live yesterday. It's one that I will be able to maintain all by myself, and I'm totally thrilled about that. I'd love for you to visit.

Facebook came next. OMG. My friendly techie guru assures me I need an author page and a regular profile. I'm trusting she's correct. I've found some of you, but not nearly all. The f-button on the right is to my page. I'm hoping you'll all Like it. Search for me if you want to be my friend, too. Put in my name and San Antonio - I should pop right up. I'd love to see you there as well, but I'm still a private-enough person that I don't feel comfortable posting the link to it here. I'm sure after I've been on Facebook for awhile I'll feel differently, but it's something I have to work through.

Next, my techie friend signed me on to Goodreads. This site is fairly straightforward, but there are so many of you and so many books. I started with the auto-lists Goodreads provides. Books and Friends. I'm not much beyond that at this point, but I'll get there. Punch my Goodreads button :)

Then. Came. Twitter. OMG times a million. I've sent a couple of follow requests. But like the others, there are lots of you and one of me. So one more click, please :)

And what about Linked In? How many of you are there as well as these other groups? I think I need to put on makeup, get my nails done, and dress in something besides my pj's before I sign in over there.

So I'm begging ... please don't leave me hanging out there.

Or here. I need your help with all the tips, tricks, rules, and anything else you can tell me about the current state of all the social media sites. The etiquette. Who may I follow? Who should I NOT follow? Who SHOULD I follow? Besides all of you, that is. Is it different on each site? My questions are born of ignorance, but I'm a quick learner.

Are there other places I should be, too?

Fill me in. Get me up to speed on how to best navigate the perils of social media and still keep smiling.

Next Monday I'm going to post about social media and time management.

Happy Monday!

Comments

Linda G. said…
Love your new website -- the Scrabble tiles are genius. :)

Re social media: Twitter and blogging are my main outlets. I'm on Facebook, but that's mostly a place where I keep up with extended family. I may set up an author page there eventually. I suck at Goodreads -- I hardly ever update, which is bad of me, I know, but...well, I do have to find time to actually write my books, too. ;)
Joanne said…
Great website, Carol, congrats! The design definitely works well with your genre.

My only social media right now is blogging. Eventually I'll step into the foray, but for now, the blog has my attention.
Jan Morrison said…
Carol - you and I are on the same bizarre wave - once again! I'm battling blogspot though so we'll see how it goes. I will go to your site - sign on to follow you on twitter and check out your facebook page.
Ta da!
Jan Morrison
Hart Johnson said…
Congrats on the website! And well done getting going on the other stuff. I haven't done my 'page' yet at FB, but the profile is good--it is the only way you can 'give back' since a page can't go through and 'like and comment'--it can only announce. This is a good push for me to get some of these other things going... (and a button in my sidebar!) I will check to make sure we are connected where I am!
Carol Kilgore said…
Linda - Thanks, Linda! It's been overwhelming for a while just thinking about all this. Now that I'm actually hooked into it all, I don't know how to handle it.

Joanne - Thank you. Yours is awesome. It's a whole other world out there :)

Jan - Great! I couldn't ask for more.
Jennifer Shirk said…
Your website looks fantastic!!
Unknown said…
I think I've connected with you on all your sites. Have you joined Google+? ;) Just another to add to your list.
LR said…
I'm going to start Facebook in fall too. :) Would love to be your "friend."

Still resisting Twitter for now, but someday it'll be inevitable.

Good luck with all your social media!
VR Barkowski said…
Love the website, Carol. Great colors, composition and so easy to navigate. I still have no clue why folks need both a personal and an author page on FB. I've "liked" dozens and dozens of author pages and have never revisited any of them. Maybe you have to have an author page to send out invitations? Not sure...
Lydia Kang said…
Carol, I'm a Twitter follower of yours and just tweeted you a welcome!

I just joined Twitter a few weeks and it has been a whirlwhind, for sure.
Carol Kilgore said…
Hart - Yay! Thank you. My friend pushed and pushed to get me going. I think I'm glad she did :)

Jennifer - Thanks!

Clarissa - Thank you. I think I've reciprocated.
Congratulations!
I'm on Twitter and recently signed up for Goodreads, but that's it. Although everyone seems excited about the new Google+ site.
Carol Kilgore said…
LR - Thanks for the good luck wishes. I need them! Friend me when you get there.

VR - I'm definitely not sure, too. I guess I'll figure it out as I go along. If I do, I'll let you know. But don't hold your breath - I'm pretty much a techie idiot.

Lydia - Thank you!!! I just sent my first tweet :)

Alex - I've heard a lot about Google+, too.
Colette Martin said…
Oh, welcome to the world of social media. (I love twitter!)

Your website looks fabulous! Congrats!
Elspeth Futcher said…
Welcome to the world of social media! And..how did you get those facebook/twitter icons on your blog?
Carol Kilgore said…
Colette - I'm hoping I'll love Twitter. I made my first tweet this morning. I'll have to see how it goes.

Elspeth - I copied and pasted a string of HTML my techie friend sent me. I know that's absolutely no use. But maybe you can find them on the sites someplace?
Rula Sinara said…
Wow! Sorry, I'm not much help...you're waaaay ahead of me on social media, LOL. Sooner or later I'll cave.
Carol Kilgore said…
Rula - I could hold out no longer - LOL!
Love the new look. We're friends on Facebook. I clicked on Twitter. Hope it went through. I'll check.

Isn't there always something more? I keep getting requests to join LinkedIn. Some days a writer wonders when the books will get written.

Kathi
I belonged to Linked In as a teacher, but then writing buddies began making friend requests, so I accepted them. I'm not on Twitter. But I'm on Facebook (thanks for friending me).

My advice is to limit your time. The more things you join, the more time it all takes.

Good luck!
Carol Kilgore said…
Kathi - Thank you! I can't keep track. It's crazy going from nothing to everything. Give me a week or two, and I hope to be up to speed.

Theresa - I'm definitely going to limit my time. I just need to figure out the best way for me. And I think I'm going to forego Linked In at least for a little while.
Janet, said…
Hi Carol, I just liked and friended you on Facebook. Good luck with your ventures. Now I am going to stop by your new website.
Claudia Zurc said…
Congrats, Carol for taking a huge step! I, too, hesitated when my friend asked me to open a Facebook acct. I really didn't want to, but I've read that you have to create a platform if you want to be visible in the writing industry.
Anonymous said…
Cool website. I maintain my own web presence, too. It seems easier that way, rather than having someone do it for me.

You'll get the hang of everything. It takes time to throw oneself in the flow of social media.
Carol Kilgore said…
Claudia - It's fun so far, but it's been a lot of work getting to this point.

Medeia - So far some days have been easier than others. I'll get there :)
Michelle Fayard said…
Carol, your new Web site is beautiful! I have “liked” your FB fan page and am following your tweets. I’ve also sent you a Goodreads friend request. I’m on Linked In, but that’s only because I needed a place to put my online portfolio for my day job; no dress code required though. :) I think what you’re already doing is excellent, and your number of followers proves it.

I try follow back everyone who follows me on Twitter, but to help manage the tweets that roll in and to make sure I don’t miss any that are on my fave list, I’ve set up a list where I’ve added my top tweeters. Please let me know if you’d like to walk through this together some time; my e-mail address is mefayard(at)yahoo(dot)com.

I also try to “like” or friend all FB requests, but to manage the ginormous news feeds, I’ve gone in and set some friends so their news is what I see first. Again, holler at me for details whenever you’d like.

You can follow anyone you’d like on Twitter (a few have locked accounts, but not many) and like anyone on FB; a friend request has to be accepted by the other person though. As you come across bloggers whose posts you like, in addition to following them, you might decide to like, friend or follow them on Twitter.

I hope you enjoy your expanded social media, but always remember there’s no rule that says you have to do what doesn’t feel right or work out for you. Wishing you a great day!

Michelle
The website and FB page look great! And I am now following you on Twitter--yea! I have a page for each of my books on Facebook, but not an author page. Like you, I'm sometimes unsure what the right move is in the world of social media, but it's usually fun.
J.L. Campbell said…
Did you say social media and time management in the same sentence? Gotta tell you, this is where all the discipline you have will be necessary. It's east to twitter, and fb time away without knowing it. I haven't gotten around to Linked in. Don't think I have enough time for anything else.

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