Thunderclap is a pretty new platform, launching April 28, 2009. The platform is just starting to gain momentum and is still a challenge to work with for many. For that, I thought I’d talk a little bit about what it is, how it works and why I use it.

Thunderclap is easy to set up and offers both free and paid options. The program, allows individuals and companies to rally people together to spread a single message at the same time. It works by collecting social media pledges of the message and publishing that message to the social media pages of those who pledge on the same day and at the same time. The more people who support the campaign, the greater the social reach.

Here’s what Thunderclap has to say:

A tool that lets a message be heard when you and your friends say it together. Think of it as an “online flash mob.” Join a Thunderclap, and you and others will share the same message at the same time, spreading an idea through Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr that cannot be ignored.”

Why I Use It

I got into using Thunderclap last year because I knew I would not be at home when my book launched and would need help promoting it online.

Independent Authors wear many hats: writer, publisher, marketer, promoter, production managers, editors, and designers. To some extent, the Independent Publisher must become all these. Although we will at some point outsource a lot of these things (editing, book cover design, formatting) we still dip our hands into the process at some point. As Independents, we have the added advantage of controlling every aspect of taking our book from concept to execution. However, getting our books noticed in the sea of books is not easy.

Think about it: On the one hand, anyone can publish a book. With Amazon’s Createspace, Lulu, and many others, it’s easier than ever to publish a book. In fact, thousands and thousands of books are published every day.

While the ease of publishing has made publishing easy, it has also made it a most challenging process. With millions of books published daily, how does an Indie Author stand out?

Word of mouth is still the best way to spread a message and Thunderclap can be easily compared to a digital word of mouth: a way to spread the word about something special from person to person online.

Below are some frequently asked questions about Thunderclap:

Are you being paid for my social pledge?

No. I receive no monies for your social media pledge.

Why is it called a pledge? Is this some kind of vow?

You are not vowing to do anything. It is called a pledge because Thunderclap pledges to post my message to your account one time and one time only, that is on July 15, 2017.

Thunderclap asks for permission to post on my behalf and access to certain information which I am not comfortable with.

Your information is not being shared and the process is safe. It is no different than the apps and social media pages you already have displaying a similar message asking permission to post on your behalf.

How much does it cost to pledge?

It costs you nothing. You can support an Independent Author 100% free. No agendas or hidden fees.

Thunderclap is helpful to Independent Authors like me because it gives us the opportunity to spread our message without self-promoting which people are already used to and to some extent, hate. Indie Authors on low budgets, such as myself, do not have the luxury of publicists who can promote them. I have no PRs or anyone who can generate and manage publicity for my books. I would love that but I don’t have the money to pay anyone at this time. In such instance, you, my dear readers are my publicist. Independent artists are all about the people and there’s no reason for me to sugar-coat that you are the strength behind the success of Independent Authors like me.

If you enjoy reading this blog I would be honored to have your support.

I am recording my daily actions and my experience with the program and I’d love to share it with you when the campaign is over. I’ll share what works and what sucks.

I’ve already noticed some things I could have done better and some things I’ve done well.

How to Pledge

Go to the Campaign page HERE

Decide where you want to support me and click on where you want to support where it says Support with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or all three. (You can help me go up 3 points with all 3!)

Next, you will see this message below. My automatic message is displayed but you can make this your own. When you’ve finished, click on Add My Support.

Next, you will see this screen, asking you to authorize Thunderclap to use your account. This is where some are skeptical. As stated, I’ve supported others Thunderclap myself and all it means is that on July 15th, your message (or mine) will post to your account. It does not happen more than once and Thunderclap does not post to your account at any other time.

If you have a large social following, you can even fall into my Thunderous Supporters category as seen below which makes you look pretty cool.

My goal is to get 100 people to agree to share the message about the release of Renaissance by July 15, 2017 (I am at 69% so far). When I hit 100, on July 15th, that message will be blasted out to all those who agreed to share, spreading my message farther than I could ever do alone.

It’s SUPER easy to participate- click THIS LINK and then click “support with Facebook” or “support with Twitter” and that’s it!