Social Media Content Archives - Claire McKinney Public Relations, LLC

This month we spent a lot of time going through different aspects of posting about your book and your brand on social media. Now that you know how to get started, make authentic connections, and discover topics, it is time for the most important part. We are going to talk about creating your social media plan.

Structure Your Social Media Plan

None of the things you have learned so far will matter without a clear strategy and mapped out calendar. For people who like to fly by the seat of their pants and hate linear structure, this is going to be annoying. You may need a plan more than most, because without one you will not keep it up.

The great news is that you can automate some of the tasks. However, you will need to sit down and make a calendar for each month in advance. Ideally, you have several months of planned content laid out so you can produce it, schedule it and forget about everything but engaging and having fun with your new followers. Here is how you put a plan together.

Your Social Media Outline

1. Find a monthly calendar template that you think will serve you best. Hubspot has one, and if you click on the link you will go to a page with a free download. We use a customized version of it that has worked well.

2. Think about the forms of your content. For example, we like to post a blog every week and our social posts include a feed post on Instagram followed by stories throughout the week based on the blog. We try to create themed months and weeks, which makes it easier to organize content. It also provides different formats for people who like to consume content in different ways.

3. Go back to your topics and themes. If one of your topics is world building because you write fantasy, then think about creating content about your process, articles you find online, different resources you use, people whose work you admire, etc.

4. Now it’s time to get specfic. Let’s plan a week of content on Instagram that includes a blog post about how you got interested in world building. You can choose to promote that blog on your website via a feed post on Monday, followed by two stories on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. Mark those in your calendar.

You could also add a reel with a visual like a map and a caption that includes a mistake to avoid as you get started with your world. Maybe you post your reel on Wednesday. Mark that in your calendar. Now you have a full week planned for that topic.

Getting Content Ideas Using AI

Many of us have ambivalent feelings about AI. As writers and creators we worry that AI will take over our specializations and make us obselete. Although some of this may be true or false, in the meantime we all need to be familiar with how generative AI works. So, I am recommending that you try ChatGPT, prompting it with your world building idea to see what article headlines it generates.

You could also go to Google. Type in “world building” and see what drops down from the search bar. Scroll to see what topics are listed further down the search results pages where it says “People also searched for”.

You Can’t Break Your Social Media

If you are relatively new to social media with a modest following or zero followers, you don’t need to worry too much about how your plan is executed. You can’t break your social media at this level. What is most important is that you jump in and try out a system. If you are stuck or want a bit of guidance, we do offer a free 30 minute social media overview. You can also search our blogs or look through our Instagram feed for other posts and tips.

Attention Newsletter Subscribers: In the February newsletter you will find a brief how to video for the ChatGPT process I mentioned above. To subscribe to our newsletter visit the home page

Having an effective Instagram bio is a key factor in growing your audience since it is the first thing profile visitors will see. Potential new followers will see your bio and profile before making a quick decision whether to stick around or click away. Optimizing your bio in 150 characters or less in a way that showcases your brand identity is pivotal but tricky! Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Keep It Short & Sweet

The number one tip when it comes to creating your Instagram bio is to keep it concise while continuing to be informative about your brand and personality. You want to communicate who you are and what you offer as soon as a visitor clicks on your profile. If they don’t know why they should follow you at a quick glance, your bio may not be effective enough. Between users’ short attention spans and the 150 character limit, you must strive to grab visitors’ notice right away.

Use Keywords

Your Instagram bio should contain keywords relevant to you and your brand that describe who you are and what you do as an author. This will increase your visibility online in search results to help new people find you and attract a target audience. For example, you can use words like “author” and “writer,” or more genre specific words like “romance,” or “mystery” to attract the right kind of readers to your page. As a starting point, brainstorm words that your ideal readers may use as search terms on Instagram to find books and authors similar to you. Instagram SEO will help your profile and content to be shown in search results.

Add a Call to Action

A call to action encourages page visitors to do something, whether that be to follow you, click a link, send a message, etc. This is a good way to get people interacting and engaging with you and your content right away. Choose a call to action that aligns with your goals and include it in your bio to optimize your audience’s sense of curiosity. We recommend including a link as your call to action. Try directing users to your own website where they can buy your book online, a newsletter sign up, or even a link in bio tool such as Linktree. A link in bio tool will show all of your most important links at once! Your bio is the first thing Instagram users will see when they visit your page, and these few simple tips are a great way to get started with your optimization. Your main goal is to drive readers into some type of action, such as following you or buying your book. Check out these fun bio ideas for some more inspiration on what to add to your profile and how to have an effective Instagram bio!