With so many people flocking to Facebook for personal reasons keeping in touch with their family and friends across the globe, to be a part of groups that encourage them to pursue hobbies and interests, or even just to while time away by playing games it is not easy to sell to them. People can spot a marketing gimmick from a mile away and they won’t shy from blocking any page that sends one to their feed.
But you’re an author with a Facebook page and you have books to sell. Just how do you do it in the complex folds of Facebook?
1) Build your fan base slow and steady:
If you update your personal page regularly and share things in a public setting, especially if it is stuff related to writing in general or to your works, plans, and musings specifically, it would probably make sense for you to build a subscriber list.
If, on the other hand, you want to have a page entirely dedicated to your writerly endeavors, you would be better off with an official author page.
Either way, make sure your updates are regular, and interactive. Respond to people’s questions or comments. And remember the golden rule like begets like so keep an eye out for other pages similar to yours, and engage in conversation with your fellow writers. Don’t go blatantly asking for likes but make your presence known with quality comments and observations, links and counter-points in discussions, and you’ll be sure to get visibility.
2) Compartmentalize your posts:
Whether you’re using a personal profile page or an author page, there’s always scope for making announcements or writing messages directed to a particular segment of your target audience based on geographical and general applicability. For instance, if you’re hosting a giveaway for people in the US, you can choose to make your post available only to them. And you also don’t want to spam everyone on your list by posting several times a day, unless you are willing to risk being shut off from their feeds altogether.
3) Be personable, approachable and reasonable:
Always make the time and effort to be yourself when interacting with your audience. Don’t blatantly and repeatedly cross-post the same content from your blog, website, or other social media sites, even if you’ve synced up all your accounts. This will bring clutter and chaos to not just your fans, but your own page.
Share your Facebook stories with us! We’d love to hear from you!