Interview with Melanie Dotcity
Author of Twitter Marketing for Microbrands 2020: Tailored Tips for Bloggers, Podcasters, Sellers, Streamers, and More
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Your book is called Twitter Marketing for Microbrands. So what is a microbrand?
- Microbrands are simply brands that are targeted to small niches or geographical locations. Microbrands can also be small brands that perform all or most of their business functions themselves. My book is geared toward the blogger, the podcaster, the side gigger, the small local business, the sellers and resellers. In short, people who want to increase their reach on Twitter, but can't afford to hire someone to do it for them. Twitter is a great way for a niche marketer to find an audience that is passionate about their subject.
To what extent is Twitter Marketing for Microbrands based on your own experiences?
- Twitter Marketing for Microbrands sprang from notes I made for myself while making sales on the bird app. I read a few books on social media marketing and Twitter specifically, and found that what the authors recommended hadn't worked for me. Or worse, the advice would result in shadow bans. Between a savvier audience and changes to the site's algorithm, the way I use Twitter in 2019 is far different than the way I advertised on there in 2009.
How has Twitter Marketing for Microbrands been received by your followers?
- I was afraid they'd feel like guinea pigs, but so far they've been very positive and congratulatory! They have weighed in on everything from the cover to the hashtag niches I included, and I cannot thank them enough.
How was Twitter Marketing for Microbrands written?
- One piece of advice I give readers in my book is to use spreadsheets for A/B testing, and I had the analysis handy to prove that certain tricks work better when trying to drive clicks, downloads, and sales. I drew on about a year's worth of tweets from six accounts. Then I decided to tell my readers the story of what works on Twitter right now.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Just write! And once you've written, PUBLISH! I have written everything from a weight loss memoir to a book on baby names. This is the first work I've attempted to sell, because it's a book I wish I had at my fingertips.
What are some of your favorite recent reads?
- I've just finished Mitchell Zuckoff's Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11, a heartbreaking read that tells the stories of individuals who lived and died that day. I've also read a couple of good but very different true crime books, Maureen Callahan's American Predator and Peter Houlahan's Norco 80.
Twitter Marketing for Microbrands weighs in at over 900 pages. You can't possibly expect us to read all that.
- Don't worry, it's all those hashtags! About 75% of the book is long-tail hashtags. I find that pairing a popular tag with a less-active one can help extend the shelf life of tweets so that they are discovered hours, days, or weeks after posting.
What was the most surprising fact that you discovered while researching Twitter Marketing for Microbrands?
- I had meant to show that timing is important by tweeting in the middle if the night and then writing about the tumbleweeds, but then those tweets outperformed the ones that had been posted twelve hours earlier! Those 3 am tweets don't have as much competition and they're seen by the early risers.
How have readers responded to Twitter Marketing for Microbrands?
- I've had great feedback from friends and colleagues. Even heavy Twitter users said it helped them navigate the site better and drove more clicks. More importantly, their feedback made this a more informative book. The advertising section would not have happened without my early readers.
Where next? What are you working on now?
- I am polishing the free hashtag calendar that readers will have the opportunity to download by signing up at my author site, Melanie.City. Aside from launching this book, I am focused on balancing motherhood and my marketing career.
