What Writers Need to Know About Social Media Platforms
What is a social media platform?
A social media platform is a contained online space where users may interact with one another. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Tik-tok are all social media platforms.What’s an algorithm?
An algorithm is the math equation social media platforms use to guess if you would read or comment on a post. This means algorithms are written by engineers who want to keep you on social media websites as long as possible. Platforms want you to watch ads and collect your data to sell to other advertisers. When social media platforms say the algorithm is making the decision, it is important to remember that the algorithm was written by a human being at a company trying to make as much money as possible.Social media sites are not interested in making you happier or smarter—they want you to be “engaged,” meaning you are staying on the website and interacting with its features. If a post of a duckling is so cute you share it, that is engagement. If a post makes you so angry you write a comment saying so, the social media platform also considers that engagement and will even promote more content you dislike. In general, social media algorithms favor extreme content because extreme content elicits the most engagement from users, who then stay on the website and consume more ads.
Content format
Short text posts, short videos, and photos.Description
Twitter is a social media platform where users create short posts called “tweets.” When those posts are published in public mode, other Twitter users may “like” (clicking a heart icon on the post), comment on, and repost or “retweet” the posts. If Twitter deems a user famous enough, it will verify their account—the platform doubles checks that you are indeed Justin Timberlake—and put a blue checkmark by their name.The name on a Twitter account is different from “the handle,” which is the unique username and URL associated with the account. For example, on Twitter, my name is Paige Welsh, but my handle is @MarkthatPaige. You may follow other Twitter accounts to tell the platform that you want to hear more from that person, but you are not guaranteed to see all of that person’s tweets. The algorithm may filter out tweets that it thinks you won’t engage with.
To make your posts easier to find, you may also “tag” them. For example, let’s say I write a post about poetry. I can include #poetrycommunity in the post. The algorithm will then note that people who write about poetry or follow that specific tag may be interested in your post and show it to them. You can also tag other users by including their handle in the post. For example, when you type @MarkthatPaige, a few accounts will appear in the drop-down menu. You select the proper account, and the handle will turn blue. When you publish the post, I will get a notification that you tagged me, and people who follow me will be more likely to see your post.
People may also send you direct messages or “dm”s on Twitter if your privacy settings allow them to. A direct message is a private text exchange. If you are new to Twitter, be sure to double-check that you are sending private messages through the direct message panel, usually tucked on the side of the screen. If your message is in a Tweet rather than a direct message, the message becomes public.
You may want to customize your privacy settings. To learn more about controlling who can see what you post, look over this help guide.
Algorithm and monetization
Twitter suggests tweets to other users even if you do not follow that person. It makes decisions about what tweets to show you based on what you have previously engaged with, who you follow, and what’s trending at the moment. Your Twitter home page is not chronological or all-inclusive. Twitter’s formal guidelines say that pornography, hate speech, or gore is not permitted on the platform. Historically these restrictions are loosely enforced, and you can find plenty of all of the above if you go looking.Twitter makes money by scraping and selling data from its users to advertisers. Users may also choose to promote tweets, which means paying Twitter money to give you post priority when deciding what tweets to share with its users. Users do not get paid by Twitter, but they may use the platform for marketing their own work.
How Writers Can Use Twitter
Much of the online conversation about the publishing industry happens on Twitter. I have personally found work opportunities on Twitter that I am grateful for. It also keeps me up to date with publishing news. If you publish in journals, their social media teams will often tag your account as they promote your work. Retweeting posts about your work is good self-promotion. You also have the opportunity to return the favor. Sharing the work you love by other authors, particularly authors early in their career, is a positive way to participate in the literary community. Twitter is also infamous for airing gossip and drama in the literary community. We’ll talk about the ethics of these situations later, but for now, just be aware—Twitter sometimes feels like a return to high school.Content format:
Short to long text posts, videos, live streams, and photos. Users may also create and host pages and gated groups.Description
Facebook is similar to Twitter in its capacity to share and “like” posts. Topics and other users may also be tagged. The big difference is in Facebook’s wider set of tools geared towards creating online communities. Facebook groups can keep certain posts and group memberships gated within a club moderated by an administrator who approves and denies members. Depending on the privacy settings chosen by the moderators of the group, posts may or may not be hidden from non-members. Like tweets and direct messages, Facebook’s posts are generally public, while direct messages are private. You may customize who can see your posts. To learn more about Facebook’s privacy settings, check out this manual.Algorithm and Monetization:
Facebook is also similar to Twitter in how its algorithm chooses to show posts that are engaging rather than in chronological order. It makes money largely by scraping data from its users to sell to advertisers. Businesses may also pay Facebook to prioritize showing their posts and ads. As of writing this, Facebook also takes a 5% cut of all items users sell on Facebook Marketplace, which is like Craigslist, where users can post items for local sale.Facebook is more aggressive than Twitter in its moderation of pornography and violent content. It also has policies against hate speech, but more and more users are observing that these policies are unequally enforced. In an investigation by ProPublica, reporters found that hateful speech against Muslims and Black people was left up while Facebook would take down posts that said negative things about White people.
How Writers Can Use Facebook:
It’s common for authors to have a professional-facing Facebook page where they update friends and followers on their writing projects. Facebook can be a convenient way for authors to self-promote and have direct conversations with fans. The groups feature can also be handy for creating workshop writing groups. The chat feature is also convenient. However, closed Facebook groups can be catty. Much of what happened in the infamous “Bad Art Friend” incident happened on Facebook. Once this writing group’s group chat got subpoenaed, no one looked good. Everything can be screenshot and passed to other people, so write wisely.Content Format:
Instagram prioritizes images and video, ideally shot on a phone.Description
All Instagram posts must include an image or video. Users may choose to attach short to medium-length text to posts and add tags for content topics and other users. Other users may write a comment on the post and “like” the post by clicking the heart icon. Facebook owns Instagram. If you have a Facebook account, Instagram will likely ask you to connect your accounts. Linking your accounts makes it easier for Facebook to collect your data and for other users to find you. It does offer additional convenient features. For example, some people adjust their settings to automatically make their Instagram posts appear on Facebook, saving some of the hassles of self-promotion. Like Facebook and Twitter, Instagram includes a private direct messages feature. You can learn about adjusting your privacy settings at this manual. Instagram’s moderation system is pretty much the same as Facebook’s.Algorithm and Monetization:
Like Facebook, Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes engaging posts. I have personally observed that Instagram’s focus on images and aesthetics through images prompts users to post positive and beautiful things. People seem more likely to scroll past ugly images and uncomfortable topics (topics that perhaps deserve discussion) on this platform. This observation seems to bear out in marketing data.Online vendors often rely on Instagram as their primary route for marketing. “Influencers” or people with large social media followings, can sometimes negotiate deals to promote products in their Instagram posts. For example, prominent modeling and fashion Instagram influencers will often be paid to show off a piece of clothing or accessory. Users may also pay Instagram to prioritize their posts. Instagram has also rolled out online storefronts. Users may now set up business accounts where other users may buy products directly through Instagram, which, of course, takes a cut of the sales.
How Writers Can Use Instagram:
Aside from expanding your online presence, Instagram can be a great place for short book reviews. If you’re reading a book a week, taking a quick picture of the beautiful cover and posting it with a few of your thoughts is a great way to promote other writers’ work and stay in the literary conversation.As noted on a previous page, you may choose to publish poetry or other creative work on Instagram, but once you do, so it is unlikely to be touched by other publishers. Perhaps the literary community has an undo amount of scorn for “Insta-poets.” I say more power to you if you choose to publish your poetry on Instagram and stick it to the snobs, but be aware that since the rise of Rupi Kaur many writers have decided Instagram poetry is gouache.
YouTube
Content Format:
Videos and short text posts.Description:
YouTube is a video hosting service owned by Google. A YouTube account will be connected to a Google account. Videos can be up to 12 hours long, making YouTube ideal for long-form video content. Videos may be published publicly for everyone to find or made private, meaning a user would need a direct link to view the video.Algorithm and Monetization:
The YouTube algorithm favors and promotes videos with high engagement, meaning people watch the videos the whole way through, comment, share, and like the content. YouTube’s algorithm will also favor videos with closed captions. As for length, YouTube maintains that it does not favor long-form content—it is just giving the people what they want. They do, however, reward long watch times. It floats around YouTube folk wisdom that twenty-minute videos or longer seem to do better than three-minute shorts these days. Videos with “adult content,” be that sex or suicide, are pushed to the bottom of the pile. Research done by queer creators also strongly suggests that YouTube downplays and demonetizes content that acknowledges queer issues, even if literal sex never comes up. This reverberates into big creators avoiding topics that may make advertisers uncomfortable.YouTube makes money by running ads on videos. YouTubers generally make money through promotional partnerships, Patreon crowdfunding, or ad revenue shared with YouTube. Ad revenue for content creators is trivial unless the channel has millions of subscribers and regular views, so most YouTubers lean on the other two routes. A promotional partnership can look like discreet product placement (ex: They get paid to drink a specific type of beer during a live stream.) or an old-fashioned ad. Patreon is a platform that allows viewers to pay creators a monthly subscription out of good will and to get access to gated content.
How Writers Can Use YouTube:
If you want to run a writing video blog on YouTube, it can be a great way to gain followers who may one day buy your book, but it’s an extraordinary commitment. The top is thin, and most creators give up after they go for months with less than 100 subscribers. To run a YouTube channel, we’re talking at least 5 hours a week writing, editing, and promoting content. More likely, writers will end up using YouTube to follow other accounts and maybe post a recording of a speaking event now and then.Works Cited
“3 Reasons Why Closed Captions Increase YouTube Views.” 3Play Media, 13 Feb. 2019, https://www.3playmedia.com/blog/3-reasons-captions-increase-youtube-views/.“9 Reasons Instagram Will Overtake Facebook.” Content Marketing Consulting and Social Media Strategy, 9 May 2018, https://www.convinceandconvert.com/baer-facts/9-reasons-instagram-will-overtake-facebook/.
About Fees for Sales | Meta Business Help Center. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/223030991929920?id=533228987210412. Accessed 14 Apr. 2022.
Angwin, Ariana Tobin, Madeleine Varner,Julia. “Facebook’s Uneven Enforcement of Hate Speech Rules Allows Vile Posts to Stay Up.” ProPublica, https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-enforcement-hate-speech-rules-mistakes. Accessed 14 Apr. 2022.
How Can I Adjust My Facebook Privacy Settings? | Facebook Help Center. https://www.facebook.com/help/193677450678703. Accessed 14 Apr. 2022.
How To Tech. Twitter How To Change Privacy Settings - Twitter How To Protect Your Tweets - Make Tweets Private. 2021. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70wMwI8yp6o.
“Introducing Shops on Instagram: A New Online Shopping Experience.” Instagram for Business, https://business.instagram.com/blog/introducing-shops-on-instagram. Accessed 14 Apr. 2022.
Romano, Aja. “A Group of YouTubers Is Claiming the Site Systematically Demonetizes Queer Content.” Vox, 10 Oct. 2019, https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/10/10/20893258/youtube-lgbtq-censorship-demonetization-nerd-city-algorithm-report.
Who Is the Bad Art Friend? - The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/05/magazine/dorland-v-larson.html. Accessed 14 Apr. 2022.
Why Do We Love To Hate and Meme Insta-Poet Rupi Kaur? https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dpn8z/instagram-poet-rupi-kaur-memes-hate-fans-author. Accessed 14 Apr. 2022.
YouTube Creators. How Long Should Your Videos Be? 2020. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1tHzUGdMwY.
Content by Paige Welsh, 15 April 2022
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0
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