Using Facebook to Promote Your Book
Raise your hand if you have a Facebook.
Now, keep your hand raised if you’ve ever considered Facebook as a tool to promote your book or business. If you haven’t already, you should!
Facebook may have started as a personal networking site, but it has become so much more. As an author, you should explore each and every avenue to promote and market your book.
Here are a few reasons why:
Let’s get started! Below are the first 6 steps in the process. Our next post will be on the remaining steps.
That’s a given! But, if you’re still struggling to get your book OUT of your head and ON paper, check out a few of our resources: How To Become A Better Nonfiction Writer, 4 Tips For Writing A Book On A Budget.
If you still need an extra boost, get in touch and we’ll talk about the next steps to authorship.
A Facebook page differs from a profile, as it is used to represent a brand, public figure, business or place — it is not a personal account.
Creating a page for your book will act as a platform to promote your book and yourself, as an author!
It is a more credible route than using your personal profile and will avoid the nuisance of constantly spamming your friends and family with your book adverts!
Facebook pages offer a wealth of useful business resources, which personal profiles do not. For instance, you can create a calendar of events for your book tour or speaking engagements.
You can include contact info and links to your website; after a certain number of “like,” you’re also able to track important page analytics, as previously mentioned.
Before you get going, give your marketing plan some thought:
Establishing and committing yourself to an action plan will not only keep you accountable but also allow you to monitor your page’s progress and track how your marketing strategy is panning out.
Facebook has an excellent scheduling tool, where you can schedule posts up to weeks in advance! Already know you have a speaking engagement in a couple of weeks? Create the post now, then schedule it to roll out a few days prior.
Linking your page to your website or other professional platforms will further enhance your credibility. If you’re a business owner, and your book pertains to your business, include a link or address.
Avoid linking personal pages or business, which has no relevance to your book.
Your friends and family are already your biggest fans! Why not make it official, by liking your page, as well? You have to start somewhere and begin building a “fan base.”
Once a person has “liked” your page, it will appear on the timeline of their friends, which means more exposure for you! The more exposure you can get, the greater your reach and ideally readership.
Log on to your personal page and create a quick post promoting your book’s page. Encourage your friends and family to like your page and spread the message.
While your book page will be the source of heavy marketing, you can always revert to your personal account to share an upcoming event or news about your book. The more exposure, the merrier!
Promoting your book and brand on Facebook is indeed a commitment — but it’s so worth it!
I’ve been blessed to have the support of my friends, family and readers both on and offline, but it’s definitely taken considerable effort to build my pages into a viable marketing resource.
What are your thoughts on using social media as a marketing tool? Let us know in the comments below or check out my Facebook page!