I miss TweetDeck. I’m not even going to pretend I don’t.
I spent literal years of my life learning that system, curating my space, and creating a place on the internet that allowed me to get the information I wanted while also reaching my fan base (love you all!). I’m mad that it’s gone because some rich guy believed his own hype machine, but what can you do about it? It’s gone. I accept that. The internet is an impermanent place.
Moving on!
Today was the day set aside to go find new solutions for marketing on social media. This is what I found. Feel free to let me know in the comments if I missed something. (Note: this is published in February 2024)
DECK.BLUE
Similar to it’s predecessor Teetdeck this site offers columns so you can sort your writers from your local news feeds, the option to run multiple accounts at once, and scheduling. The downside is that scheduling is limited to the paid accounts only.
Pros:
– Columns
– Control what you see
– Scheduling
Cons:
– Only one social feed
– Scheduling is locked behind a paywall
Cost:
$2USD – basic plan with 1 week scheduling and limited accounts
$5USD + – allows scheduling up to 3 months in advance
FEDICA
This is not a social media site, it’s meant for advertising and planning only. You’re not going to sit here and read your feeds on Fedica, you’re going to schedule your ads and call it a day.
Pros:
– Scheduling
– Free
Cons:
– It’s just an ad platform
Cost:
$10USD + annually – basic plans are free but analytics costs more
PLANABLE
Planable, like Fedica, is an advertising platform, not an integrated social media experience. It provides a workflow geared towards video and allows you to link accounts between Facebook, X-Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Youtube, Pintrest, and Google Business. This feels like it’s meant for the people who are into videos rather than typed content.
Pros:
– Scheduling
– Multi-platform reach
– Free options
Cons:
– Video heavy (which may be a pro for you)
– Isn’t reaching all social media yet
Cost:
$11+ – The free option allows up to 50 posts, everything past that costs money. The website specifically lists no Twitter publishing from the free account which feels both confusing and dated.
VERDICT
I feel like I’m going to like Deck.Blue once it grows up a little and Bluesky is not invite-only. Right now Bluesky is limited because of the invite-only thing and that’s keeping it from quickly becoming the new Twitter. The other social media places out there (Mastodon, Countersocial, Threads, ect) all have various limitations that make them feel less like Twitter to me. For some people that’s the point, they want something that’s not like Twitter. I liked Twitter and it worked well for me, so I want a replacement.
I see Fedica being my go-to place for scheduling ads simply because the scheduling is (currently) free. Being able to spend a morning a month scheduling all my ads and making sure they hit multiple social feeds makes it feasible for me to advertise without losing too much writing time. And that’s the main goal.
My job is to be an author and editor. I’m not interested in videography. I’m not interested in learning how to edit videos for TikTok or Insta or anything. I love people who do that, I appreciate their hard work and content, but I don’t aspire to be them. So, for me, the era of the Personal Brand and All About Video is a challenge. I want to get my work out there. I want people to read my books. But I also want time to write the next book.
We have a rapidly changing marketing landscape that’s going to require some flexibility from authors and readers. I’m comforted by the knowledge that, at the end of the day, we all want the same thing: great books to read. The fractured landscape may make it harder to find those books but those books are out there, we’re going to find them, and it’s going to work out.
For authors my advice is SHARE. Talk about what you love. Talk about your books. Share your writing. We need it.
For readers my advice is BE EXCITED. Talk about your favorite books. Talk about what you’re reading. Share your love for the things you love so other people can fall in love with them.
At the end of the day, we all love books.