Social media is a fantastic way for non-fiction authors to reach their readers, receive feedback, and spread the word about their books. In fact, these days it’s imperative. But it can feel overwhelming and forced if it’s not a natural part of your life, or if you’re uncomfortably aware that you’re there to promote yourself. Social networks that run 24/7 and the sheer amount of information available can make it seem impossible to get your voice heard and make authentic connections. However, with a few tricks from the pros, you too can make your social media networks a place for you to build an audience and underscore your credibility as an expert, without feeling like a sellout. Here are a few Twitter tips from social media experts Gary Vaynerchuk and Chris Brogan on utilizing social networks.

Tip #1. Connect and engage

In Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World, he states that there is “lots of talking and selling on Twitter, but not enough engagement.” Engagement is an important part of the social media realm, and that means two-way communication. Twitter is the cocktail party that you simply can’t afford to be wallflower at. And as social media guru Chris Brogan notes, simply “following doesn’t equal engagement.” Jump in; start talking to people and making those meaningful connections. It takes time to build relationships, and just like in the offline world, the investment you make in them will determine what you get out of them.

Tip #2. Give to receive

So you’ve got a book to promote and can’t wait to share your words of wisdom? Great! However, don’t let your product or information be the only information that you put forth into the social realm. Make others feel valued by listening to what they are saying and acknowledging its importance with a response. Twitter is like any aspect of social life; no one likes to be ignored. Self-promotion can be important for oneself, but the occasional promotion of others is a gesture appreciated by many. Recently bestselling author Stephen King tweeted “If you read Alex Marwood’s THE WICKED GIRLS, her new one–THE KILLER NEXT DOOR–is even better. Scary as hell. Great characters.” A few accolades in the right direction can open doors to new followers.

Tip #3. Be a trendjacker

Twitter is the place for breaking news and hot topics of conversation. Keep an eye on what is trending on Twitter and if you see something germane to your subject matter, jump into the conversation. Does a particular breaking news story relate to the theme of your book or your area of expertise? Tweeting your thoughts on the subject can draw attention to you as an expert. As Gary Vaynerchuk advises, with trendjacking you can “spark interest in your product or service among people outside your core group of followers,” as well as using others’ content to give you a “reprieve from having to think up fresh creative day after day.”

Tip #4. Make it personal

Give readers insight as to who is behind the book they are reading. Share a photo of the manuscript your cat ripped to shreds. Tweet a quote that inspired you to write. In his blog 50 Ideas for Using Twitter for Business, Chris Brogan advises, “Share the human side of your company. If you’re bothering to tweet, it means you believe social media has value for human connections. Point us to pictures and other human things.”  The content of your book will inspire readers. Sharing information about the humorous, sad, emotional, or happy journey you undertook to attain that wisdom is just as important. It establishes an emotional connection and makes you relatable as a human being.

Tip #5. Use hashtags appropriately

If you are a Twitter newbie, you may find yourself wondering why so many tweets are followed with a word that has a # prefix. This is commonly referred to as a hashtag. Hashtags are ways for people to search for tweets that have commonalities. For instance, if someone is interested in financial information, they would search for tweets containing #finance. As an author, if you wrote a book about finance, you would use the same hashtag to incorporate your tweets into the financial feed, so that people searching for that topic will find them.

 Using hashtags appropriately is an important strategy in Twitter for two reasons:

1. They lead to greater reach amongst readers on Twitter.
2. It can showcase your personality to readers if done right

It is a good idea to sign up for a monitoring dashboard such as Hootsuite, so that you are able to keep track of hashtags that could be useful in the marketing of your book. Be selective about the ones you choose to use, and always be yourself. As Vaynerchuk says, “Do not pretend to be cooler than you are.”