Oh, and Did I Mention... Monday?

So, last blog I talked about how social media can change your life and make all your dreams come true (okay, so it's not a magic wand, but...). This week, I'm gonna talk specifically about what you bloggers can do to drive traffic to your brilliant ramblings on life, liberty and the pursuit of the perfect ice cream.

If you haven't heard of Mention Monday (#MentionMonday), you probably haven't spent much time on Twitter on a Monday. Last week, the secondary reach (meaning the retweets of an original tweet) of #MentionMonday was 37 million. That was not a typo. Thirty-freakin'-seven million!! Off of the strength of Mention Monday, one of our blogger clients was contacted last week by potential sponsors. Her blog is hysterical, but wasn't getting the attention or audience it deserved. Due to our efforts (yes, Mention Monday was our idea) she has landed on some pretty prestigious lists.

So many writers and filmmakers are using blogs and/or websites (if you have a website, you can participate) to get the word out about their projects. Problem is, there's an awful lot of those websites out there. How do you manage to penetrate through all the noise? Mention Monday can help.

Here's how you do it. Post a link to your blog/website (use one of the link shortening sites to increase the amount of space you have) and put #MentionMonday right there out in front to identify it. Throughout the day, go to the retweet button on the right of your twitter home page. Don't worry about "Retweets by Others", 'cause really, who cares, right? :) Go to "Your Tweets, Retweeted." If your #MentionMonday got retweeted, look and see who did it. Go to their profile and look for their #MentionMonday tweet (if there is one) and retweet it. That's just kind, right?

Once that's done, go to the search bar at the right and type in mentionmonday. There will be a ton. Retweet all that you can, and don't stress out if you miss a couple here and there. Then go to the blogs and websites. Read 'em. Comment on 'em. If you like what you see, subscribe to 'em.

Oh, and anyone that you see doing Mention Monday on the stream, follow 'em. Follow back any that add you. We're building a community of writers here, tweeps! Let's be kind to each other. I may write more on that later, but for now, go forth and enjoy #MentionMonday!

Social Media, Your Best Friend

That's right! That thing you do at your day job that annoys your boss so much is exactly the thing that can help you to realize your dreams of success. Whether you're a novelist, screenwriter, filmmaker, or have a bridge you want to sell someone, social media is one of the best ways to get the word out.

Social media can help drive traffic to your blog or website, where you can grab the attention of your somewhat captive audience. Grab their attention, keep it, and PRESTO! You're building your presence.

Let's be honest. When it comes to publishers, agents, producers, etc., etc., they want to know that there are numbers backing their newest venture. That's what social media can bring us. Numbers. Lots of them.

Don't get me wrong. It's hard work. You need to build a following. That means being clever. It means reaching out. It means stepping out of our comfort zones. Hey, no pain, no gain, right?

And here's the other thing: we need to get our act together. If we drive traffic to our website, there better be something good there for them to see, right?

If you're a filmmaker, you need poster art, a electronic press kit, a trailer. Screenwriter? Same basic deal. Novelist? You too. Everything is moving toward the end game of getting a film made. Novelists have no longer "made it" until their books have been optioned and turned into the latest blockbuster. Twilight, anyone?

Here's the pitch part of the blog. Go to our website: www.zerotosoldtrailers.com. Check out our slick press kits, our stunning cover art, our amazing trailers. See for yourself what we have to offer.

In addition, due to overwhelming demand, we have started offering social media packages. We can help you to grow your following and online presence. We count among our clients one of today's most talented artists, a celebrity expert of one of the hottest reality TV shows around and a NYT bestselling author. We're helping them. We can help you.

More important than using our services, though, is just that you decide to get your stuff out there. You'll feel better. You know you will... :)

The Oscar Goes to...

Watching the Oscars for me is always a mixed thing. I love watching the nominees, the winners, the glitz and glamor.

And I'm not there.

Yet.

And there it is, isn't it? I love doing what I do. I assume you're the same, or I can't imagine how you managed to find your way to my blog. How do we translate the desire to create into a career that can support us (and ultimately get us to the Oscars)? We no longer live in a world where you can count on talent to get you discovered. There's just too many people with a novel, a script or a project in their back pockets, looking for the perfect moment to pitch.

That's where promotion and marketing come in. We don't like it. It feels uncomfortable, even painful at times. We curse. We rail at the heavens. We should NOT have to be the ones doing this.

Ok.

Yeah, in a perfect world "creatives" wouldn't have to do it all themselves. But this world is far from perfect. It is, however, elegant in its simple beauty. Because having to do it ourselves is kind of perfect. How bad do we want it? The obstacle isn't there to tell us to stay away. It's to see how much we want to get past.

So, let's make a pact. No more whining. Or, if we must whine, let's follow up the whining with positive action. Take steps now. Do one thing each day, if you can't do more. It doesn't matter if you decide to use Zero to Sold in your quest, although we believe that you should at least take a look to know the right questions to ask yourself. So, do it right now. Go to our site: www.zerotosoldtrailers.com, and look around. Email us. Ask questions.

And then do something.

C'mon! You know you want to...