Thurber Center class offers tips for social media marketing

A Thurber House master class taught by Geben Communication President Heather Whaling will offer attendees tips on how to use social media to promote their writing.

The one-day class, titled “Marketing Your Writing Through Social Media,” will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Thurber Center, located at 91 Jefferson Ave. in Columbus. Tuition is $60 and the registration deadline is tomorrow.

“If no one is reading what you’re writing, then you’re just talking to yourself,” say Whaling. “Social media is a critical tool for many kinds of writers, from authors who want to connect with niche audiences to small business owners who see blogging as a lead-generation tool.”

The class will cover the pros and cons of various social networks as tools to promote writing, as well as how to effectively promote writing via social media without seeming “spammy.” Additionally, the class will feature hands-on activities that demonstrate how to effectively leverage social media to attract the right audiences to attendees’ writing, and provide them with 10 ideas they can start implementing right away.

“As an avid Twitter user and frequent blogger, I view social media as a lead-generating tool for my business,” Whaling says. “In fact, I can trace 75 percent of Geben Communication’s new business back to relationships that originally began online. I joke, but it’s sort of true: Twitter keeps our lights on.

“This ability to turn content shared via social media into business outcomes has helped us grow into a sought-after PR firm with a national client base. I’ll show attendees how I approach content creation and social media marketing, and offer lessons from my experiences that will help them be more effective online.”

To learn more about “Marketing Your Writing Through Social Media,” or to register online, click here.