A Day in the Life: Using Digital and Social Media, as an Author, Writer, and Content Creator

Wow! Never saw me getting here. 💁

Honestly, I never saw myself as a writer, author, or content creator when I was growing up. I don't even think content creation was even a thing when I was growing up. I always thought I would be an attorney, or maybe even a psychologist, never an author, let alone a content creator. 😎

Be that as it may, here we are, and a day in the life of an author, writer and content creator includes the use of social media, every, single, day. 😏

What sites and/or applications do you visit most often?

Most of the sites I use each day are your typical social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. 

TikTok is my primary space to be in. I post transformative messages about the light and shadow parts of life. By this I mean, I talk about the things that bother and plague most people in everyday life. The interactions that happen between people that disturbs one's confidence or makes them insecure. I provide the inspiration they may need in order to rebuild their confidence and to have self-acceptance. 💪 

YouTube is my next favorite space to be in. I use YouTube to host bi-weekly cash giveaways and interactive games for my viewers. I couple this with inspirational messages to help my subscribers gather the strength to get through their week. 😌 When I was working in the corporate world, struggling to get through the week, I remember using the content that I saw on TV and online as entertain and a source of relief to help me get through the week. So, this is just me providing my viewers with what I know helped me when I was in their shoes. Also, the cash giveaways are just a way for me to give back to the community. 🙌

Facebook is more of a family and friend connection space for me. I don't really post inspirational messages on this platform. The posts I make on here are more of the things that I experience in my life that I want to share with the people that care about me and are closest to me. 🙏

Twitter is where I like to dump all the quotes that I think about that might be helpful to the next person. It's literally my personal diary of quotes and my thoughts about the world as they come. 🕮

Lastly, there is Instagram. I am currently using Instagram to post content to inspire those individuals that are on their life journey trying to achieve their goals, dreams and aspirations just like me. I have made my page a personal blog to document every stage of this process and every success that I celebrate. If you want to know where the end goal is, well, wherever my efforts will take me. But for right now I have my goals set on becoming a well-known author. Last night I just googled myself, and boy was I excited to see that google currently recognizes me as an author. Guess what I did to document? You guessed it! I went straight to Instagram to post it, lol. Now all I have to do is work on that "well-known" part and my goal will be complete. 😊 Super exciting!!!!

I use all of these platforms to create constant, and consistent, content to be able to market my published books and digital products as an author, writer, and content creator. All of these platforms combined also allow me to express myself in different ways so that this journey doesn't become too boring. 😒😁

Do you have positive or negative reactions when using certain types of media?

Honestly, as an avid user of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, I have noticed some things, to say the least. The most negative observations of these are the fact that Instagram seems to be getting a little stale, and the reach to new viewers, for someone trying to get more eyes on their published work, is horrible! I almost quit Instagram altogether, but that was when I had the clever idea of just turning it into my personal blog. This way I don't obsess over how many viewers I get or the subscriber count. 

On the flip side, TikTok is booooooming!!! I get a few new subscribers every day! Every time I post something a get at least 1 to 5 new subscribers. The reach to new viewers is currently unmatched by any other platform. 

YouTube and Facebook are the same. On YouTube, if you make good content, the subscribers will come. On Facebook, it's just like being in high school. You got your cliques, clubs, class clowns and the elites out here trying to make a difference. What more can I say about Facebook. 😂

Email marketing is still a little unused in my marketing strategy, but only because I have so much going on everywhere else. I don't want to "bother" people, so I won't use this method until I know for sure I have content of high value and quality to deliver. 😅But I have definitely been collecting emails for when that day comes as it has been proven over time that this is still one of the best methods for marketing. 

Do you find that your needs are satisfied using one type of digital media over another?

This is a very good question. My current need is to build brand awareness (this plays into that "well-known" part of my goal that I am looking to achieve). This means I need as many eyes on my works as possible. Currently the only platform that is delivering this to me, with speed, is TikTok. The others are a very slow growth process without using ads or other various methods of obtaining more views and subscribers. 💣

Do you receive emails from companies? If so, what types of emails catch your attention? What do you look for?

This question is very funny, and right on time. Just the other day I said to myself, "Man, I really like when I get emails that say encouraging things in the subject line". 😂 

I got an email the other day from a company that said "You're doing a great job! Keep up the good work." I know that it was a marketing strategy, but it definitely worked because I opened it, lol. Granted, I knew the company it was coming from, so I wasn't hesitant to open it. But I think that may be why I deliver inspirational messages as a marketing strategy myself. It just feels good to hear a nice word in a world full of negativity. 💓

What do you notice about the use of digital media in marketing today? 

Digital media marketing today is still the best way to go when it comes to getting more views and eyes on whatever it is that you are trying to market. Email is definitely the best way to get a little closer to a potential client or customer because almost everyone has an email address, and they have to check it. It is the best "long-forum" strategy to use, as social media tends to be for short attention spans and quick viewing. While social media definitely has its place, email is still probably the best way to go when it comes to earning the trust and getting the attention of your target audience. 

Conclusion

While I never saw myself getting knee deep into digital marketing as an author and writer, content creation has definitely made its way into my daily life, and I do really enjoy it. Being creative in the ways I decide to market my books and digital products has really helped me to be expressive in my daily work. 👌 

This is a day in the life of an author, writer, and content creator, using digital and social media. I hope you have found some value in this post. At the very least, I have just created another avenue to market my books and to creatively express myself. 😂😉😊

Good luck on all of your endeavors. 💖