Ask the Bloggers: Social Media & the Book Blogger

Let’s talk social media and book blogging.  Are you using any of the Big 5:  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube?  Am I forgetting any?  This week’s question posed to our lovely and talented book blogging experts “Which social media do you use the most {pinterest, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc.}   With the recent changes in Facebook has that altered how you use Facebook for your blog?”

The answers are varied and fascinating to me, especially since using social media causes me to break out into hives!  Just kidding. . .but only a little!  Be sure to share your social media stories and tips in the comments ~ we are here to help each other grow and prosper on this book blogging journey!

Sheila from Book Journey   The Social Media I use the most is Facebook but mainly for everyday life stuff.  I do not have a Facebook page for Book Journey because I am afraid I will not have time to keep up on it.  I have my posts automatically set up to go to Twitter and I upload reviews to Pinterest as well because surprisingly, a decent amount of traffic comes from Pinterest!  I do not usually spend time myself on either of these social media spots mainly because I just do not have the time.  (I refer to Pinterest as a time suck… I go into look at one thing and while I am there.. day turns to night….LOL, its too addicting!)

I do think connecting with some sort of social media does help blog traffic – you can pick up new readers from each of these large social networks.

Follow Sheila on Twitter | Pinterest

Julie from Chapter Break:  I tend to use twitter more than other social media because it is quick and instant, though it is much easier for posts to get buried. Facebook has been good lately for interactive posts and questions where it can show up in people’s feed later and continue getting replies.

Follow Jamie on Twitter | Facebook

Kathy from BermudaOnion:  I have to admit that I really don’t use social media all that effectively because it takes a lot of time to do so.  There are a lot of people who do it better than I do.

I’ve set up a Facebook page for my blog but all I do is have my feed sent there.  I don’t even know about Facebook’s recent changes so it hasn’t changed the way I use it.

I set up a Pinterest account but haven’t used it in a while.  When I did use it, it was more to keep track of books I found on other blogs.  Oddly enough, I get a lot of hits on a post that someone else pinned.

I’m on Twitter just about every day but use it more to stay connected with blogging friends than to actually promote my blog.  To be honest, I find it annoying when people use it only for self promotion.
Follow Kathy on Twitter | Facebook

Jamie from Books and Beverages:  My top two are Twitter and Facebook. Twitter helps to connect with blog friends, authors, publishers, etc. I’ve gone through phases a with Facebook page. I used to have a separate page for my blog (a different blog), but then deleted. So I use my personal page as my blog page. It’s a personal decision, but my self-made rule is I don’t post anything on social media I wouldn’t tell a stranger on a plane, so it works for me. Whenever I start thinking about making a page, I think of all the settings/changes Facebook likes to do and think: ain’t no one got time for that! Well, at least not me. :) 
Follow Jamie on Twitter | Facebook

Shannon from River City Reading:  I definitely use Twitter the most, because I feel like it’s the easiest way to connect with the most people at one time, though I feel like I’ve put myself out there on every social media outlet. I’ve been on a bit of a roller coaster with Facebook, where I’ve felt really frustrated trying to figure out the “game” of pages and just wanted to give it up. But after playing around with Google+, I realized I just really like the structure of Facebook and the familiarity people have with it, so I needed to make it work for me. After seeing this video, I stopped worrying about page likes so much and have focused more on posting varied content to my smaller group of followers, which has been working. 
Follow Shannon on Facebook | Twitter 
And me?  I’m not a big fan of Facebook ~ I have somewhat kept up with it because my kids are on there and I can see what is going on in their lives via FB.  I go in spurts with using it for interacting with readers.  I wish I was better at it.
I am more involved on Twitter and learning how to use it better thanks to the lovely ladies on the Advisory Board of the Inspys, Hootsuite, Buffer and a phone app that pings when I’m tagged in a tweet.
I am a big fan of Pinterest.  It’s fun and I get so caught up in it (kind of like reading a great book!).  I play on Pinterest rather than using it for blog promotion. . .and honestly, all of these I tend to use more in a personal way rather than a promotion aspect.  I have it set up to automatically post new blog posts on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ but for the most part I use Twitter like Kathy, to connect with other bloggers.  I am so impressed with book blogs I come upon that are bang up great at making pinnable images, Tweets that are so interesting, and Facebook posts that inspire me to join in on the conversation.
Now how about YOU, Lovely Reader?  What social media do you use the most?   Any problems you’ve encountered with Facebook or really any of the Big 5? Leave your favorite social media contact info in your comments so we can follow you as well! Go have an awesome week and read some great books!