The Mitten: 2019 Goal: Enhance Your Online Presence by Lauren Ranalli

Friday, March 15, 2019

2019 Goal: Enhance Your Online Presence by Lauren Ranalli

“I had been stuck trying to improve for the last year…” – A.N., author and illustrator

Chances are you’ve had a moment (or several moments) of sitting in front of your computer, phone, or notebook thinking: “Okay, I should post something on social media, but….?” I’ve been there. I’m still there sometimes. So I’m willing to guess that you too might get social media paralysis, have a website that needs updating, or simply don’t have the time or energy to really invest in connecting with your online community in an intentional, organized, consistent way.

Don’t panic. It doesn’t have to be hard… and it can actually be very rewarding. As a self-published author, I knew I needed to create my own brand and find an audience for myself. Over the past year I have committed to intentionally enhancing my online presence. And it has REALLY made a difference! If you’re thinking of doing the same, here are the first few steps I took to get started:

I transitioned my Instagram and Facebook account settings from a personal account to a business account. Not only did this help me think through how to better distinguish personal from professional posts, but it also provided me with analytics on my engagement and insight on the best days and times to post in order to reach my followers.

I created a “mission." I knew that if I really wanted to engage online then I couldn’t just post about my own books. I would find that redundant and so would my audience. Instead of just being an author page, my online presence focuses on my goal of “sharing content to promote diversity, literacy, and the joy of reading.”

I made a plan. I took online social media classes from experts such as Kat Coroy, researched the best tools for helping me create, schedule, and track my posts, and set aside time each week to plan out meaningful content. And I’ve committed myself to learn more and share strategies with others!

When it comes to your online presence, do you need a “booster shot” of ideas? If you thought, “Hmm” or “Yes!” then let’s chat. I have recently been asked by other authors and illustrators to provide strategies for enhancing their social media style and online engagement. It has been incredibly rewarding! I love hearing from colleagues that our work together has doubled their followers, provided concrete, actionable strategies for posting, or sparked a new sense of motivation. If you’re interested in learning more, I’d love to connect with you. I have put together a super-quick survey to collect some background information and get a better understanding of your social media or website goals. This allows me to create personalized recommendations tailored just for you. Questions? Feel free to email me at lauren@laurenranalli.com and I’ll be in touch.

Lauren Ranalli is a fully grown adult who still gets excited over the Scholastic book catalog. She is also a children's book author, public health professional, and mother of two highly spirited children. Lauren's books include THE GREAT LATKE COOK OFF and the forthcoming SNOW DAY AT THE ZOO, PLACES WE HAVE NEVER BEEN and TAP DANCE NINJA. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook and learn more about her work at www.laurenranalli.com.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Lauren! For more ideas about book marketing and promotion, check out these previous Mitten blog posts by Debbie Gonzales and Maria Dismondy: