Facebook

 

Facebook

Let’s start our social media tour with the big guy. Well, big guy for Gen Xers. Many of you probably know and use the app. As a writer, it’s the best place to find readers.

Facebook is a social media platform where users can post messages, pictures, videos, just about anything to share. Friends can post comments and replies. It’s an interactive environment with many layers. Not only can you post, but you can chat with friends, join interest groups, read news, find out the weather, and more.

Getting started is easy. Create an account by just signing up. Search for people you might know and send them a friend request. Search for writer and reader groups and join the fun. Boom, eight hours later you made dozens of friends, five interest groups, and played twenty different games.

But as an author…

Here are my two cents. Facebook has the readers. Most users are over thirty, but these people read, have money to buy books, and time to chat online in fan groups. If you are a YA or children’s author, Facebook probably won’t have your readers. But you might find their parents. Facebook is designed for user interactions, advertisements, and information. Authors can use these elements to promote their books and brands.

How to use Facebook as an author.

•  Set up an Author Page. (This differs from a Profile.) It’s a business page where fans can find you. Keep it set to public so that anyone can find you. Invite your fans to the page either through direct invites or when they like one of your posts. Use this page to promote your books and brand through interesting posts, ads, memes, videos, pictures, etc. Post every day. It might sound like too much work, but it’s worth it. Because of Facebook algorithms, some of your fans might not see all your posts. Having many posts to interact with will keep the page hot in the algorithms. The more comments on your posts the better you will do. Encourage people to click Love, Care, Laugh instead of just Like (thumbs up) when enjoying your post. The other reactions besides Like move you up in the algorithms. (Or they did, at the time of this post.)

What to post on your author page? Everything, from personal stuff (not too personal though, like your home address or pics of your babies) to cover reveals, to book sales, to vacation slides, to pet pics to… You get the idea. This page shows the world (of Facebook) who you are and what you are writing. Find a style and be consistent. Post those cat pics every Saturday. Use Wednesday as a tease on Hump Day (especially if you are a steamy or erotic writer), do a TGIF meme on Friday, or whatever your style.

• If you have a large fan base, create a fan page (Group). It’s a page for your fans to hang out, discuss your books together, and have some interactions with you. A fan page is for the readers to talk, not you. (Of course, you need to monitor it. Maybe create a spin-off group for spoilers. Be sure everyone plays by the rules.) I know a few authors who’ve had luck with these pages, gained new readers and had fun interacting with fans.

• Learn to create ads through Facebook. Because the app is full of readers and is far-reaching, Facebook ads are a great way to find new audiences. Best advice: Take a class on Facebook ads with a reputable person. I’m still trying to figure them out. A few other romance authors teach wonderful classes on how to make ads and make them pay. It’s worth the cost of the class to reach new audiences through an app where you already established a presence.

• Team up with other authors. A Group for your genre with other authors allows you to share audiences, give more content to readers, and expand your reach. Plus, it’s super fun. I’m a reader in some groups, but I help run a romance group where we have guest authors, contests, parties, play meme games, and more. It’s a nice small set of authors sharing and reaching out to our fans. They are perfect for when you are still establishing your fan base and might not have enough people for a fan Page. Plus, opportunities abound to help other authors and get help yourself. Plus, readers love these groups, especially ones that give out free prizes!

Facebook can be a powerful tool for an author, but not everyone likes or is on the app. Next week, we will discuss Twitter.