The Social Contract from James W. Ziskin

What’s your social media strategy? Do you try to promote a brand or a reputation?

I don’t have an organized, well-thought-out social media strategy. That is to say I’m a pantser, not a plotter, when it comes to the Internet and my writing career. I know more or less where I want to go and what I’d like to achieve, but the windshield is foggy and the map is torn. I remember the old Thomas Guides maps of Los Angeles. The ones before there was GPS. Before even MapQuest, the Thomas Guide taught me how to get around LA. Google Maps doesn’t teach, it tells. Today we follow the directions without thinking, and that’s probably why we don’t know where we’re going. We’ve been seduced. It’s easier to do what we’re told.

So, to wring even more life out of this analogy, I don’t use anything like Google Maps to plan my social media strategy, I use what I’ve gleaned from Thomas Guides. I know how to get from Hollywood to Westwood, even if it’s not the most efficient route. And forget about avoiding traffic, accidents, and speed traps. I can’t see any of those when I set out on the Internet.

But I do try to arrive on time. Or in time. I hope my posts and promotions strike some kind of chord with readers.

Here are some bits of advice I tell myself regarding my social media posts. And I agree to follow my sage counsel. Let’s call it my “Social Contract.”

1. 🎶 Oh, Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood 🎶

Be clear, Jim! Be brief. Not everyone appreciates long-winded theses in their Facebook feeds. And, while you’re at it, avoid controversy. Unless you want to argue with strangers and offend/lose friends.

2. 🎶  I can see clearly now 🎶

Good photos. Fun photos. Of yourself. No blurry photos! Your friends like to see you. You always seem to get more clicks when there’s a picture of you, even if you do have an ugly mug like me. 

And cats. Don’t forget to post pictures of cats.

3. 🎶  Don’t let the sun go down on me 🎶

Make sure you don’t fade away. Post something about your writing career—your successes—from time to time. Just to stay in the game. You don’t want readers to forget about you.

4. 🎶  You’re so vain 🎶

“But enough about ME. Tell me what YOU think of my book…” Jim, don’t be that guy who only promotes himself. Aim for a healthy balance. Yes, you’re on social media to further your writing career, but don’t make your online presence a late-night infomercial. Or a bad date with a blowhard. Talk about other things besides your writing. Entertain. Show that you’re an interesting person instead of telling people you’re a talented author. 

5. 🎶  Shower the people you love with love 🎶

Share the spotlight, Jim. Pay it backward and forward. Promote your writer friends. And writers you don’t know. Tell readers about other writers, the famous and the not-so-famous. Don’t hog the limelight of your own posts. Be generous.

6. 🎶  I can’t help falling in love with you 🎶

Okay, Jim, maybe “love” is too strong a word. But you want readers to like you. Find you interesting, compelling, entertaining. You want them to want you as a friend, invite you to their parties. So don’t be a dick online. You don’t necessarily score points for being nice, but you sure lose them quickly for being a jerk. Don’t mock others. Don’t rain on parades. You hate that movie? That song everyone’s talking about? Fine. Share your opinion with friends and wretched, like-minded people in your private life. Social media is public. And it doesn’t go away. Sure, you might be clever and make some people laugh, but you’ll alienate others. Don’t believe everyone will admire your wit, hoist you on their shoulders, and parade you around the room. A lot of folks will think you’re arrogant and clueless.

The above are strategies and practices I follow to cultivate an online identity. I’m not saying I fake who I am. But I try to be aware that readers like to be intrigued by you and, by extension, your writing. And if you’re a writer, you probably want to be entertaining and likable. Maybe like an old song.