Narrative Disorder » In the Geek Cave

On Using Social Media for PR

Danielle — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:34:37 +0000

I’ve been on Twitter for some time, now, and I love it for the connections I’ve made with other writers. I recently joined Facebook to make contact with “Real Life” friends and, increasingly, writer-friends from Twitter. Unfortunately, though, Social Media involvement also means dealing with spam from companies and, ostensibly, professional PR people who think they can use this new platform to sell their, or their clients’ wares, and I really do wonder how much they con people into paying them to do this because it seems they just fundamentally misunderstand the medium.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Social Media cannot or should not be used for promoting a product, of course it can. I have no issue with someone I have followed or befriended posting about their current project on their account so that I’m aware of it and can opt-in in some way, nor do I have an issue with someone I have directly corresponded with sending me a private message asking me to give them a little support in their project before they go wide with it – that’s the good, effective way to use Social Media for PR. What I do have a problem with is the number of messages I have been getting, supposedly ‘tailored’ to me, or not, from accounts clearly set up purely for PR, which show very little genuine interest in either me or the platform they want to exploit.

So, fwiw, here’s my advice to anyone wanting to use Social Media for promotional purposes:

Any time you send an unsolicited message about a product directly to someone on any of these social media, you are not being an uber cool company that is down with what the kids are doing these days – you are TELEMARKETING. Not only are you telemarketing, but you are calling during a dinner party. Imagine being at that dining table when the call comes through. Now imagine the talk about you and your product afterwards – it’s not going to be good is it?

If you want to use Social Media to promote something, you have to actually BE social – be ready to put in the time or it will all be for naught. Tweet or post about something other than just your own products, something which will be interesting to your target audience so that they will engage with you and wonder what you or your product is all about. Getting a good word of mouth campaign going used to be a real coup in the PR world, because it was subtle, if sometimes vulgar, work. Social Media is all about word of mouth, so you need to put as much creativity into encouraging those conversations as you did pre-social media – the size of these vast networks you wish to exploit make it a more delicate process, not a shortcut.

Illustration credit: Matt Hamm

In which I cheat with my latest post.

Danielle — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:06:24 +0000

In a post this week, Betsy Learner asked her readers to post a comment about their favourite local bookshops. It prompted from me a meander down Memory Lne, and, since I have been too busy settling into my fancy new Sydney life to write about said fancy new life (which I will do at some point soon), and also since I'd like for my latest post not to remain the one about my father, I thought I'd post what I wrote. If this prompts a similar memory in you, please do go to Betsy's post and add it there (I'd hate to ninja comments lol!)

"I have a thing for second hand bookshops which specialize mostly in non-fiction or old textbooks (there’s something brash and low self-esteem about second hand fiction, their titles somehow always seem to have turned into huge, slutty pink-foil letters!) The good ones have the musty-sweet scent of old paper and have no cafe, and no music, just floor to ceiling books with conveniently placed ladders.

My two favourite stores in Melbourne (Australia) were Dr. Syntax in Commercial Rd, South Yarra and what is now boringly called the Queenscliff branch of “Barwon Booksellers” in the old bluestone Wesleyan church in the main street of Queenscliff. I say “were’ because one lunchtime – god, a decade ago? – I headed down to Dr. Syntax to finally purchase the complete John Donne in pretty blue leather and the 1930s textbook on Australian Aboriginals and two other texts from the 50s, that I’d had my eye on for some time (I love old anthropology textbooks as a sometimes eye-opening, often hysterical history of the ignorance and arrogance of the ruling elite) to find it had gone out of business. I was devastated, and felt fairly guilty for not having just bought the books in the previous weeks (my $120 surely would have kept them going!)

Some weeks later, on holiday in Queenscliff (a beach town around the bay from Melbourne) I wandered into the ex-church-bookshop and was browsing when I spotted a familiar little book with pretty blue leather binding. I snatched it up and, sure enough, it was my Donne – with the Dr. Syntax price still in pencil in the front flap!
I raced to the counter and breathlessly asked if they’d purchased the Syntax stock – they had! I found all four books that day and left with the odd feeling that I’d discovered that some lost friends had found themselves a good home."

The following picture was taken in on Sea Shipment Day, 2008, 6 weeks after we arrived in Japan - many of the books pictured were purchased at Doc's

My Week in Tweets 2010-03-22

Danielle — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:00:00 +0000

iTunes damage undone! CDs back to WAV - no more distorted mp3s engineered to make iTunes purchases sound bett http://tweetphoto.com/14704638 #
Beautiful, Donna! Thank you for sharing RT @Donna_Carrick: Waiting For Sunrise~Writers' Craft: http://bit.ly/9a0PPE Sharing a golden moment. #
Working on my antogonist's role this week and probably next, too, to get a good hold of them before going back to my prot's POV. #
http://tweetphoto.com/15082609 Organic vegies delivery today! Made chicken chilli for breakfasts, used AMAZING (cont) http://tl.gd/igj7o #
Anyway 1a.m. so must wind down and go to bed - Enjoy the rest of your Saturday everyone! #
Just had some of the pumpkin soup; the difference organics makes to flavour is truly astonishing. Wish they were available to all! #

My Week in Tweets 2010-03-15

Danielle — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:00:00 +0000

"Place setup mic at listening point 1 at ear height" no http://tweetphoto.com/13766825 #
"Place setup mic at listening point 1 at ear height" not what I bought it for... http://tweetphoto.com/13766855 #
But the mic had a standard tripod fitting... Why. not? http://tweetphoto.com/13766966 #
Ah, Autumn. Gotta love it. http://tweetphoto.com/13936088 #
Look at that green! lettuce, capsicum, tin of tuna in oil, verjuice - simple & fabulous! http://tweetphoto.com/13987125 #
Cleaning up after feeding myself and the cat. Hmm... http://tweetphoto.com/13988758 #
LNDN (Lovely next door neighbour) is a writer, too. Been getting along so well that we've begun plotting a book to try to write together! #
Thank you to everyone who responded to my blog post on my father's death. I tried to answer everyone personally, I hope I didn't miss anyone #
Goodnight Twitterverse! #
Ken Levine on believable writing: "On MASH we had medical advisers... just to make sure everything was plausible. And on CHEERS we drank." #
Ah... Tweetdeck - how I've missed you!!! #
Sorry - hubby came home and hr early but has written me an excel thing to split up my tweets - so here it comes (prob too long) #
#amwritingparty #wipfire 1/6: She realized now that she was walking with the hip-swaying gait the women had taught her, taking the #
#amwritingparty #wipfire 2/6: impact of every step in her hips so that her upper body to remained perfectly level and still. Tears #
#amwritingparty #wipfire 3/6: pricked at her eyes. Even now those warm, strong women who had giggled fondly at her attempts to adjust #
#amwritingparty #wipfire 4/6: to their lifestyle, and taught her with seemingly endless patience, were helping her shoulder to heal. #
#amwritingparty #wipfire 5/6: Images flashed through her mind; her friend's bodies thumping to the ground around her, twisted and #
#amwritingparty #wipfire 6/6: bleeding beyond healing. #
#amwritingparty #wipfire I'll do a shorter one next time - never realised how little a tweet actually is! #
And now I'm going to go and be nice to hubby, instead of snapping that he's home too early lol! #amwritingparty #wipfire #
Look Ma! No boxes! Phase 4 - Done! http://tweetphoto.com/14214795 #
My whole day has been spent on housework & there's still dinner to make. How does that happen? #
At least tomorrow I'll be able to FINALLY watch all 4.5hrs of Red Cliff (in superb, painstakingly balanced, Onkyo-KEF surround) guilt-free! #
Okay, time to either write or go to bed. See you on the other side of my decision, Twitterverse! #
Okay, some good grappling with my antagonist's desires, and research on immigration fraud done. Time to get some sleep. Night all! #
LET RED CLIFF BEGIN!!!!! #
Red Cliff was AWWESOME!! There were some parts I'd edit out of Part 1 but Part 2 was WHEEE! Totally worth the 3 year wait! #
Starting to wonder, though, is Kaneshiro Takeshi capable of looking at someone in a non-intimate way? I was seeing all KINDS of subtext LOL! #

My Week in Tweets 2010-03-08

Danielle — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Reading corner done but for pile of boxes waiting for Nippon Ex. http://tweetphoto.com/13570933 #
Work space done but for temp white table while damage to desk is fixed http://tweetphoto.com/13571201 #
Unpacking done but for a couple of boxes of craft stuff in the spare room, which can be done later! Should be back to #amwritingparty soon! #
This could be the perfect THE e-reader http://short.to/1a3pz esp. if Kindle, B&N etc for PC get WinMobile versions. I wants one!! #

My Week in Tweets 2010-03-01

Danielle — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:00:00 +0000

SEA SHIPMENT DAY!!! Seriously, it's like Christmas #
All our sheets smell of Kakuozan. I'm not sure I've ever missed a place like this before, I usually move on and don't look back. Odd. #
RT @SeeInANewWay: It's Lensbaby's 6th B-day and our friends are celebrating by giving YOU gifts: http://cot.ag/aorTjo #
Last kitchen box about to be unpacked! http://tweetphoto.com/12416641 #
Lounge done but for speaker cabling, which I'm saving as a reward for finishing everything else ... Is tha http://tweetphoto.com/12416925 #
Done! One fully functioning kitchen! (Can't promise the cook is the same!) http://tweetphoto.com/12502009 #
Starting point for today's big job: my study. http://tweetphoto.com/12503955 #
RT Sydney, Australia @Ishtarra: Please RT: Show class how far a twitter message can spread, #artscouncilhaliburtonhighlands #
Coming up against frakking region coding again! I paid full price for legit DVDs while living abroad - I should be able to USE what I OWN!! #
Dining room done! Okay, there's only a table and chairs but it counts as a room! http://tweetphoto.com/12545063 #

My Week in Tweets 2010-02-22

Danielle — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Expected my toenail to be purple-black this morning but it's a vibrant, almost peacock blue - kinda pretty LOL #
WOOHOO! Sea shipment arrives next Tuesday - by end of that week this move will be over and I will be #amwriting again!!! #
Note to men: Passing a dish or pan through a sink of soapy water & maybe swirling a sponge round it does not magically make it clean. LOL #
Note to self: Have pappadums and dip for lunch BEFORE doing the vaccuuming! Hehe. Yummy though! #
Will never again complain about hunting for gluten & paraben-free cosmetics - have met someone allergic to Vit E!! It's in EVERYTHING! #
2nd season of Lost & thank GOD the Aussie accents are better - very nearly Australian instead of Sth African or, frankly, nowhere on earth. #
Catching up on SYTYCD A #
Watching #SYTYCD Australia. The same, DREADFUL camera work this season. IT'S DANCE! Stop giving us headshots, let us SEE the choreography!! #
"Remember that all description is an opinion about the world. Find a place to stand." Anne Enright in http://bit.ly/a7zKks #amwriting #

My Week in Tweets 2010-02-14

Danielle — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:59:00 +0000

Any sims3 players out there who can tell me where I buy clothes? #
Seems our sea shipment is in the country and could be here next week! Now we'll see if all the decorate-by-memory will come together or not! #
MX Air mouse is AWESOME! Ah Logitech, no wonder they call you LogiCOOL in Japan! Not sure I should get THIS excited about a new computer LOL #
Picked hubby up at airport last night - another nightmare experience with Sydney's civil 'planning'. Those IOC gifts must have been HUGE! #
Australia is so weird. 15 mins ago I had to wear sunglasses to put the washing out. Now it's pouring down & me & the washing are wet lol! #
And now it's bright blue again! Must be a coastal thing. /sigh #
Oh dear, a couple of long sessions of Sims3 and everyone on Lost looks like a sim to me :\ #
Apologies to Sydney-sidsers for late afternoon rain. Mea Culpa: I had the car washed #
Wow Netgear customer service is rude! Hint: if I've had to call, your product has already annoyed me, don't make it worse! #

My Week in Tweets 2010-02-07

Danielle — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:59:00 +0000

Not much sleep last night thanks to spider the size of hubby's palm skittering about while hubby tried to catch it. Just kill 'em, I say! #
We take our steak knives seriously in Australia! http://tweetphoto.com/10284746 #
Aching to have this move over so mind and body have room to be #amwriting. Already feel I could sleep for a week and still weeks to go #
Hee hee chuckle RT @sillybeggar: If "Your Horse Magazine" merged with Playboy, would they include a centaur-fold? #
Yes. Yes it is. RT @ajackwriting: Lie to me is awesome #
First night in house & no water pressure in showers. No doubt because landlord's rip-off-merchant handy man installed the 'eco' showerheads. #
On a bright note, Brigie will be home from quarantine soon!! #
Maybe this move would be more fun if I were two feet long... http://tweetphoto.com/10438711 #
Living room rug has arrived! http://tweetphoto.com/10445267 #
Ooh nice one today: RT @dictionarycom: Word of the Day - distrait: divided or withdrawn in attention, especially because of anxiety. #
Just drove to the northern suburbs of Sydney from the southern burbs - seriously, this city has to be the worst planned city in the WORLD. #
You know what? Until other people stop fucking up things a moron could get right, I'm taking 'control freak' as a compliment #
I thought my G11 was a gaming keyboard but THIS is a gaming keyboard! http://tweetphoto.com/10551492 #
Have had to go to a different place for each of router, print server and step-down transformer - I miss Bic Camera!! #

My Week in Tweets 2010-01-31

Danielle — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:59:00 +0000

Australia Day in Cronulla is shameful. Lots of Tshirts reading: If you don't love it, LEAVE glad we won't be living here. #
In the oddest old department store in Kensington. From outside you'd swear the store had closed decades ago and a warehouse had taken over. #

My Week in Tweets 2010-01-25

Danielle — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:59:00 +0000

#glutenfree tweeps - help please! Any advice on best things to drink/eat to help soothe/speed up suffering through a coeliac attack? #
We got it! The house even matches our decor with dark wood floors and cream walls. Thanks for the crossed fingers everyone! #
WE GOT IT!! Went straight out to get address on license so I could org' mobile. Won't have net for two more weeks but this Blackberry rocks! #
Realized gluten attack may be cc from butcher that does marinades and crumbing in same fridge. Even butchers not safe now #gf #celiac #
Hubby says wedding anniversary replaces first date anniversary so we don't get to celebrate 17yrs today - is it too sappy to keep both? #
#amwritingparty not quite able to join in from the BB and not writing yet but following and cheering for you all! Be back in a few weeks #
LOL watching a doco in which a Koori family is putting a goanna on a fire to cook and the mother said "that gonna come up like butter" #
Yes folks that's 42 degrees C outside Thank the gods of invention for aircon! http://tweetphoto.com/9335813 #
Car backed up to the warehouse, picking up the reading chair. http://tweetphoto.com/9337435 #
Needs the bookshelves round the walls but we have a reading nook red leather ottoman on order http://tweetphoto.com/9345848 #

My Week in Tweets 2010-01-17

Danielle — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:59:00 +0000

Hey all, very limited internet atm House hunting is proving harder than we thought, esp. not knowing the city. Cross fingers for us! #
Better log off now to save net time. Later! #
Off to see a house in Kangaroo Point Rd. Kangaroo point - how Aussie is that?!!! #
Quick log on to selfish ask for extra crossed fingers for application for place we really like! Hope we will log on from there soon! #

My Week in Tweets 2010-01-10

Danielle — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:59:00 +0000

No #rwsw this fortnight, too much partying! Happy New Year to all from the Romance Writers' Support Wave members and see you next year! #
First shots from our Yuletide in Kyoto are up on Flickr. Nijo Jo was our first stop! (This is also a test tweet btw) http://bit.ly/5DOVOO #
Hey #amwriting party - great WIPfire lines! I'm jealous of your writing time. In full repatriation mode here - weeding craft stuff #
Hmm this Yoono Twitter bar in the side of Firefox means I NEVER turn twitter off... may be too distracting. FF 3.5 looking good btw #
Ken Levine's review of Sherlock Holmes http://bit.ly/7kWK3w #
A post for all who have been asked to "take a look at" sthg without heed to the fact we could be being paid for it. http://bit.ly/5NNtqe #
5:30pm and it' snowing in Nagoya! Will we keep to our plan and be at the Shrine for midnight, like last year, or will we pike? #
Happy New Year everyone! #
Nearly cracked - pulled it back. I want this to be over already! #
Shutting Down and closing the computers now, will be accessing 'net with laptops when we can. Have fun all, chat soon! #
Packing day begins. http://tweetphoto.com/8116238 #
Lounge & bedroom almost done, just study & kitchen to go! http://tweetphoto.com/8116330 #
Happy New Year from Atsuta Jinja in snowy Nagoya!! http://tweetphoto.com/8116333 #
Taking a break in the only comfortable place we still have access to: the car. http://tweetphoto.com/8116487 #
Protecting floors and wallpaper of Japanese house. http://tweetphoto.com/8116563 #
Trucks awaiting our earthly possessions. http://tweetphoto.com/8116566 #
LOL! A third truck has been called in. Bloody westerners and their THINGS. http://tweetphoto.com/8116750 #
The matress that the Japanese could not believe heads home lol http://tweetphoto.com/8116754 #
Arrived in Sydney, magnificent weather. Temp apartment has great view of coast. Utterly exhausted. Eager to get the home search underway. #
18mths of Japanese quirkiness and yet none was funnier than this at a Hong Kong train station http://tweetphoto.com/8277525 #
View from our temp accom. Weather is amazing, but 22C still feels hot when it was snowing a few days ago! http://tweetphoto.com/8343100 #
I know it's the kind of silly thing non-tweeters think we tweet but, seriously, how beautiful is this breaky? http://tweetphoto.com/8343265 #

My Week in Tweets 2009-12-27

Danielle — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Doing some kindle sampling. Seriously, Tablet PC is the BEST ebook reader!! Any format & no nauseous reverse-contrast flash on page turn. #
I know romance has a tradition of silly first names, but "Major" takes the cake , it's confusing - and, frankly, ridiculous #rwsw #
Woohoo!! Hubby has discovered we can being owe Samurai & Ninja swords back to Oz! I guess with our cavalry sword it's a collection now! #
Hmm RSI effecting hand writing on tablet now. Should have been "bring our" #
Reading all these first chapter samples is fascinating So many published authors who need too read "how not to write a novel"! #
Most common sin seems to be the object/situation which sparks a remembrance which is either irrelevant description, or clunky exposition. #
And. wow, tired of reading a blurb thinking: this sounds good just before: "but why does so-and-so avoid the sun? & why is he so pale...?" #
Back in Kyoto for a last trip. Doing the temples and palaces this time. http://tweetphoto.com/7187769 #
Kitano Tenmangu on market day! http://tweetphoto.com/7188245 #
View from room of tea house in hotel grounds. Resting before evening activities http://tweetphoto.com/7188471 #
View from room of tea house in hotel grounds. Resting before evening activities http://tweetphoto.com/7188500 #
On the Shinny back to Nagoya. Possibly my last Shinkansen trip, hopefully not forever. http://tweetphoto.com/7283213 #
Home again and so exhausted we can't even find the energy for Wii Taiko! #
Happy Holidays to everyone at #amwritingparty - hope you all have wonderful days, whatever and however you celebrate! #
Time to try to wind down and head toward bed - boy have we earned a Sunday sleep-in tomorrow! So much walking around Kyoto! Pics up soon! #

My Week in Tweets 2009-12-20

Danielle — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Hello #amwritingparty, just popping in to let you know our first #romance writing tweetchat will begin in an hr! Writers & readers welcome! #
Hmm hashtag, predictably, taken so lets make it #RWSW to go with the Romance Writing Support Wave #amwritingparty #romance #
Hmm Tweetdeck on one screen and Wave open and in active chat on the other... I may have a problem lol #
#romance writers and readers! Come share your opinions & tips with aspiring romance authors in our romance writing chat in 15min Tag: #rwsw #
Come share your opinions & tips with aspiring romance authors in our romance writing chat in 15min Tag is #rwsw #writechat #amwriting #
Okay, Hello to everyone for the first tweet chat of the romance writing support group! Do say Hi and intro yourself #RWSW #
For our first topic we thought we'd discuss Romance novels vs novels with romance in them. What is it that attracts us as writers... #RWSW #
And readers (of course) and what are the main differences (loved or hated) about writing one or the other? #RWSW #
Hi @MonicaEmme & @SharonGerlach, glad you made it! #RWSW in reply to MonicaEmme #
I enjoy the challenge of writing with the restriction that the non-romance subplots must be seen through the romance. Not easy to do! #RWSW #
New Wave for #RWSW chat topics made. If I've not added you please tweet me, or ping me! #
Whether you are writing genre romance or not, how do you keep your romance from moving too fast? What are you favourite techniques? #
Since one should try not to use the same reasons twice in one novel - maybe we can help each other out! #
Whether you are writing genre romance or not, how do you keep your romance from moving too fast? What are you favourite techniques? #rwsw #
Since one should try not to use the same reasons twice in one novel - maybe we can help each other out! #rwsw Hashtags help!! #
Well it looks liek #rwsw is winding down for the day. It's been a great first chat, be sure to visit your waves and put down those topics! #
If anyone would like to suggest discussion topics, join us on googlewave! Ping me danisidhe@googlewave.com and ask to be added! #rwsw #
Checking out the #rwsw page at @wthashtag http://wthashtag.com/rwsw #
Off to brave the one thing I am a wimp about doing in Japan - the doctor. It's just somewhere you don't feel up to playing charades about. #
Warning: If you suspect even a small ENT infection GO TO THE DOCTOR. It might go away but it might also go to your heart. DON'T BE A HERO. #
Yay! No more naked finger! Wedding rings back from their trip to Tokyo for servicing and polishing by their jeweler before returning to Oz. #
Have fun with #WIPfire #amwritingparty guys! I'm off to take a non-heartstraining, gentle walk - if that's possible in hilly Kakuozan! #
Watching the pilot of Yes Minister and OMG THEY ARE ALL SO YOUNG!!!! #
IT SNOWED THIS MORNING!!!!!! WHEEEEEEEEEEE! Was out with camera for an hour, It's cold outside when it snows! http://tweetphoto.com/6706973 #
A must-watch piece of story analysis!! RT @slashfilm 70-Minute Video Review of The Phantom Menace | /Film http://bit.ly/7wyBUu #scriptchat #
Narrative Disorder has been hacked. I have shut the site down for reader's protection and will be moving to a more reliable host soon. #
Narrative Disorder back up and no danger to anyone! Got the right person at my host this time and he fixed it while I was on the phone. Yay! #
is sick of the lack of layout control she has with wordpress and is looking for either new back end or new platform that does as it's told. #