In the new age of technology, many writers are still social dinosaurs. Don't worry, I live under a rock too! However, writing a book is only half the battle won. The other half of that battle is getting your book out there and letting people know that it exists. It's a lot harder than it sounds like for introverts like you and I but fear not! After almost a year of trial and errors, I finally figured a working strategy that I can now share with you.
Are you ready?
#1: K.I.S.S.
If you don't know what this means, it's called "Keep It Simple, Stupid/Sweetheart". It's exactly what it means.
The pitfall that many writers fall into is wanting to show EVERYTHING because we understand that the true beauty of writing can only be captured after going through the process of completing a paragraph. We need time to build up characters, plot, pacing and emotions to deliver the amazing masterpiece but sadly, today's society has reduced the attention span of many people, especially on social media.
Maybe not for Facebook. That's still a 50/50 where people would take time to read lengthy posts. However, for social media platforms like Instagram, we need to choose wisely.
A good way to capture the attention of your audience while keeping it simple is to highlight the most interesting part and leave them thirsty for more. An example would be the size of a huge caption and some quote with an interesting image to set the mood. You know what they say, a picture represents a thousand words.
An example, my 50 + 50 Event post on Instagram.
As seen, keep the template simple but visually captivating. You can use many kinds of design programs to help you create these posts but my preferred choice is Canva because I can save and load templates for edits and future uses. Not to mention, there are many copyright-free images I can use for free. I know I promote Canva but I swear I'm not sponsored by the. I wish I was, their premium version looks very tempting.
Note: Don't try to cram too many details into the post because most people wouldn't read it unless they are really interested. Use more pictures to draw them in. An example would be like the cover of your book and a catchy caption for the main focus of what you are presenting.
#2: Choose a Readable Font
It might seem like a no brainer but I've seen many people try to make it fancy. In the end, it looks great but it isn't immediately readable unless you make a conscious effort to decode it. For someone scrolling through their social media feed for recommendations, they would mostly swipe past that and not register it. You've just lost the perfect opportunity to intrigue a bored person who might check your works out!
An example of some fonts to use and not use taken from source.
Unless you're trying to make an impact, I highly suggest not attempting to make it look like calligraphy even if it looks great. Making a visually appealing post can also look fantastic without the use of curvey and swirly letters.
#3: Use Some Pictures
As writers, we express ourselves best with words. However, a huge majority of the people nowadays are rather visual creatures. A picture could represent a thousand words and while we prefer reading a thousand words, not everyone has that time for it.
According to a study done, the average attention span of humans in 2020 is about 8 seconds. A goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds. You can tell how horrible this is.
This blog post is generously sponsored by the following Patreons: *This could be your name*.
If you don't' believe me, let's try an experiment.
"Nine hundred, ninety-nine problems"
"999 problems"
Which is easier to understand at one glance? There you have it. Words aren't always better when it comes to creating a visually appealing social media content. Sometimes, we need to compromise.
With that, those are 3 ways you can create your own visually appealing social media content. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message on any of my social media accounts or join my discord server.
With that, stay hydrated and healthy!
Destiny Aitsuji
