Extroverted writers have it easy when it comes to social media. Their hardest task is trying not to spend all their time on social media sites and get some writing done instead.

Introverted writers have a very different problem.

Introverts

There are some common misconceptions about Introverts, just like there are about Extroverts. Introverted doesn’t mean shy or withdrawn. Instead it means that you draw your energy from inside yourself. Internal thoughts and ideas stimulate the Introvert.

Just like an Extrovert needs an environment with outside activity to stimulate them, an Introvert needs an environment that allows for internal reflection. This often means surroundings that are quiet, isolated or free of distractions. Sounds like a quality that is uniquely suited to being a writer, doesn’t it?

The Introvert’s need for limiting external stimulation is why you probably won’t find them hanging out in large crowds of people. The activity and noise and hubbub that are generated by people is draining to an Introvert.

As an Introvert myself, I avoid large crowd situations whenever possible. I leave parties early or if I can’t, I find a corner where I can just watch and not participate. Afterward, I can easily sleep for a few hours. Time spent by myself with very limited inputs, i.e. noise, visual stimulation, conversations, etc. recharges my batteries.

You See The Problem

For an Introverted writer, social media sites are draining. All the things that an Extrovert loves–conversations, Likes, tweets, replies, pokes–suck the energy out of an Introvert.

As a result, it can be difficult or completely overwhelming for an Introvert to participate on a social media site. Many Introverts probably avoid social media sites altogether because they’re just “too much work”.

But social media sites are terrific for networking and finding readers. So an Introvert is challenged to find a way to participate in social media without draining away all of her energy.

If you’re an Introverted writer who’s been avoiding social media, try these tactics to make it less overwhelming:

• Pick just one social media site to use and use only that one. Yes, your name be as well-known on the sites as more socially-active writers, but it’s better to have one site you use consistently than several sites you barely touch because they’re too overwhelming.
• Think about how often you need to participate on the site to stay active and schedule specific times to log on. This doesn’t have to be all day, every day. You can check into a site for a few minutes each night, every other day, or even every few days.
• Keep to your schedule and don’t feel like you have to log on more than that. No guilt here.
• Remember that you don’t have to spend hours on the site. A schedule of short, regular visits (say 15 minutes twice a week) is better than an entire day just once a month.
• LIke the Extroverts, use automation between the sites to limit your need to visit each one. Just don’t go overboard and post the exact same thing everywhere each time. Some people may follow or friend you on multiple sites and they’ll see the same message repeated everywhere if you do this. That can turn some folks off.
• Reward yourself when you’re done on the site for that day, so it seems more like a treat than a required activity.
• Make use of the social media sites that need less frequent updating. The booktagging sites like Goodreads, Shelfari, Booktagger and LibraryThing can be quickly reviewed and updated once a week or every other week.

What tactics do you use to encourage yourself to participate in social media sites and keep it from becoming overwhelming?

We’ve talked about why writers should be involved in social media. But there are some pitfalls along the way that you should be aware of when venturing into the world of social media. They are centered on where you draw your energy from.

Extroverts

Contrary to popular opinion, being an Extrovert doesn’t mean that you’re an outgoing, life-of-the-party type person. Extroversion really means that you draw energy from outside yourself. From outside stimulation.

What the best and most abundant source of outside stimulation? Yep, it’s people. This is why Extroverts get the reputation for being outgoing, party people. Groups of people cause a lot of activity which stimulates an extrovert. It energizes them. Naturally then, an Extrovert is drawn to gatherings of people – the mall, a ball game, a party, any place where lots of people hang out.

Imagine, if you would then, what the writing life is like for an Extrovert. Writing involves sitting alone somewhere for long stretches using the mind to create on paper. All that quiet time by themselves with few external inputs drains their energy away.

This is why you find Extroverted writers writing in coffee bars or at the mall. Or they write at home with the TV on or loud music playing. They write at the kitchen table with their children playing around them. Having a lot of outside stimulation keeps them energized and compensates for the draining effect of engaging in a solitary experience like writing.

Participating in social media sites then, should be beyond easy for an Extrovert. Social media sites are social! People talk and discuss and tweet and Like and share links! Hundreds of people, sometime thousands, all talking and sharing together. It’s an Extroverted writer’s paradise of free-flowing energy.

So How’s That a Bad Thing?

While social media sites are tailor-made for an Extroverted writer, it can be easy for that writer to go overboard with them and spend all of their time interacting on Twitter or Facebook because it makes them feel so good. This can lead to little or no writing progress.

An Extrovert can tell themselves they’re “networking”, which is good for their writing career, to justify the time spent.

However… if no writing is happening, it’s not that good for their career.

What To Do If You Just Can’t Stop Tweeting

If you’re an Extroverted writer who is battling to keep a balance between getting writing done and spending time on social media sites, try these suggestions:

• Set a time limit for each site and log off when your time is up. Use a timer if needed or a program that will cut off your access to a site at a certain time like Internet Access Controller, Software Time Lock, or the Leechblock add-on for Firefox.
• Assign each site to a day of the week and only visit it on those days (and for a limited amount of time). Twitter can be Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Facebook can be Tuesday and Thursday.
• Limit the number of sites that you participate in based on the amount of upkeep needed to stay active. Booktagging sites like Goodreads or Shelfari can be checked weekly, so you can be on several of those without a huge time commitment. Facebook and Twitter do better with daily check-ins, so pick just one to use.
• Use automation between sites to avoid the temptation to log in to each one every night. Third-party applications like Ping will let you post to many social media sites all at the same time. Apps like Socialite (Mac only) will let you manage your social network accounts in one convenient place without having to log in to each one individually (and get tempted to stay).

What methods do you use to make sure your time is balanced between writing and social networking?

Next Up: How Introverts Can Overcome Social Media Avoidance

Social media is the new hot thing. You hear about it everywhere. But what is it and why would a writer want to use it?

What is social media?

Social media is any website or application that allows people to interact with each other. Common examples are chat rooms, forums, commenting systems, review sites, audio/video sites – any place where people can respond to each other.

You’ve probably heard of the big social media sites – Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc. But there are many more. Hundreds more. Every time someone dreams up a way for people to connect online, another social media site is born.

Why do I want to use it?

The big question for writers, though, is why do you want to use ANY social media sites?

Social media is about being social – meeting new people, making acquaintances, developing relationships.

For a writer, a wider circle of friends and acquaintances means a greater opportunity to sell books.

Here’s why:

Not everyone who knows you is going to buy your book. A sad truth, but realistic. Let’s say that 10% of the people that know you will go out and buy your book. If 10 people know you, that’s 1 book sale.

Now let’s say that 1000 people know you. That 10% is going to give you 100 book sales.

Increasing the number of people you know, and who know you, via social media can give you two main benefits:

1. It enlarges the pool of people that know you and know about your new book release (because you will have told them via blog, email newsletter, or social media announcements).

2. It increases the possibility that some of those people will like what you write (because you’re hanging out with people who read your genre) and buy your book or like you well enough to buy your book just to support you. So instead of 10% of your circle buying your book, maybe 25% buy it.

A book-buying example

Let’s imagine:
You’re going to buy a book and you have two good prospects to choose from. Both sound intriguing and you can’t wait to read one.

Book A is written by a well-known author that you don’t know personally.

Book B is written by an author that you follow on Twitter and Facebook and have talked to through tweets and wall comments. You’ve followed the book’s progress as the author wrote it and talked about it on Twitter and Facebook. You’ve witnessed the author’s struggles and celebrated her triumphs as she worked on the book.

Which book are you going to buy?

In my case, if I’m equally interested in both books, I’m going to buy the book from Author B first because I feel like I have a relationship with Author B and I want to support her efforts as a writer.

Social media gives someone the opportunity to get to know you as a person. Who you are, what you’re like, and what you’re passionate about. And we’re more likely to support people that we know and like.

Your Turn

What social media sites have you used and what was your experience with them?