Facebook authors will definitely on top when it comes to social media platforms. How can you benefit from the power of Facebook?
We all know the power of Facebook to connect with other people. Try finding a serious reader NOT on Facebook these days, and beyond the occasional conspiracy theorist, it’ll be a challenge. So, that you need to have some measure of Facebook author savvy is a given.
The greater challenge these days are how to drill down to YOUR Facebook audience, now that it’s become so utterly ginormous, and what exactly you should be DOING on Facebook to engage with your audience and attract new readers.
With over 1.6 BILLION users worldwide, Facebook’s stats show steady growth increases and no signs of slowing down yet!
The Least You Need
If you already have a Facebook account, it’s easy to build your Facebook Author page or “fan” page. When you create a page, you’ll choose “Artist, Band or Public Figure” and then proceed through the instructions to select “Author” and so on. (If you get stuck, the resource articles at the bottom of this post can help you through).
The advantages of having a fan page include:
- You have a limit to how many friends you can have, but not how many fans
- You don’t have to be around to “approve” fans; anyone can like your page.
- You can invite friends, create events, post videos, create a “Call to Action” (to your website or Amazon buy page, for example), link your blog, create contests, landing pages and more to drive readers to your website, your book(s) and to sign up for your email list.
- You can inexpensively “boost” a post (for as little as $5) to reach beyond your own current fans to announce sales, upcoming events or special content at your site.
Bottom line: There are many, many ways to engage readers on your Facebook author page and drive more traffic to your author website and your book events.
Facebook is About Connection
Social media is about being social, and connecting with your audience is key to growing it. Author and media trainer Bren McClain says, “The CON of content is important, but just as critical is the CON of connection and the CON of conversation.”
Busy though you may be, check back in on those items you post to answer comments and start real conversations with your readers. Ask questions of your readers. Share book cover ideas. Ask their opinions. Offer up ways for them to easily engage with you via contests, and offer them incentives to sign up for your email list.
Connect with Other Facebook Pages and Groups
And of course, even though your page is necessary (and we want you filling it regularly with news, events, links to your posts, photos and video and more), yours is not the only page you’ll find of value on Facebook.
Connecting with your readers is easy once you have a few keywords to begin searching to get you started. You can search for groups in your genre (there are groups for nearly every genre, from mystery to suspense to romance to religion). You can also search for groups and communities in areas of interest that coincide with your book, whether that be vampires or animals or cooking or gardening.
Where (Else) You Can Promote your Book on Facebook
Finally, there are groups where it’s acceptable to outright promote your work, seek reviews (and offer up reviews for other authors), and even announce free ebook promotions. Below are some of the bigger groups that address each of these:
Seeking Book Reviews
- Amazon Reviews Exchange
- EBook Review Exchange
- Kindle Authors Review Exchange
- Kindle Review Exchange (They suggest 5-star reviews; we ONLY encourage authors to seek honest reviews)
- WWW’s Review Forum (Must be a Winner Circle member – find books to review and invite other members to review yours, as we all know how important it is to get those honest Amazon and Goodreads reviews!)
Reader Groups to Join
- Amazon Book and EBook Readers
- Amazon – Kindle – Goodreads
- Ebooks N Books Promo Group
- Promote Kindle Book
- Kindle Book Promotions
- Kindle Krazy
- Kindle Publishers – EBooks Only
- Kindle Readers & Authors
- Nook & Kindle Readers
- The Kindle Hub
- There’s An EBook in the Room
If you have a free ebook promotion:
- Awesome Free Kindle Books
- Free Books on Kindle, Nook & More
- Free EBooks and Reviews
- Free E-Books Download
- Free EBooks Download
- Free Kindle and Nook EBooks
- Free Kindle Books
- Free Today on Kindle
Invest a bit of time in your Facebook connection strategies and you’ll soon discover there are plenty of readers ready to connect with YOU!
How have you used Facebook to build readership? Share with your comment below!
Additional Resource Articles
- Eight Ways to Maximize Your Facebook Author Engagement
- A Facebook Author Page, Still Worth It?
- How to Best Use Facebook as an Author
- Add a Call to Action to Your Facebook Author Page
- How To Launch Your Own Facebook Group And Get Loyal Fans