August 28, 2024
Do you need a Facebook author page? You’ve probably heard that social media is a good way to promote yourself as an author. The question is, where do you start? Surprisingly, many authors find that setting up a Facebook author page is an excellent way to promote your books, connect with fans, and start your social media journey.
Are you convinced that a Facebook author page is a good idea? It’s easy to do, and once you have it set up, you’ll discover that Facebook has a lot of fun features. Follow these steps.
You don’t need to have an existing account to set up your page. Go to Facebook. Select “pages” and “create.” Facebook opens a page with easy, step-by-step instructions that will guide you.
What name should you choose for your Facebook author page? Make it easy for your audience. While you may want to come up with something creative, it’s easier for people to find you if you use your name. If you have a common name or one that might be confused with others’, add the word “author” or “writer” to it.
Make it easy for readers and search engines to find you by choosing the right categories. You may want to use “writer,” “author,” and one other category. If your book is about a particular subject, use a category that fits that subject. You don’t have to fill in all three categories right away. If you want to choose one later, you can.
Add your author photo to give your profile an authentic look and feel. A Facebook author page without photos look unfinished and unprofessional. Convey the right image and add a distinctive touch with the right picture.
Every Facebook page has a cover page you can design with your choice of images and text. You can include a picture of one of your books or a generic book image.
Tell readers what to expect from your Facebook author page. You won’t have room for a long description. Keep it succinct. For instance, you could put, “I’m a writer living in Sunny Heights, Minnesota, and I’m the author of Her Restless Heart, a historical romance.”
To show off your books, go to the “offers” tab. Choose “create an offer.” Add a cover image and a brief description of the book. You must create an offer for each book you want to add.
Once you finish your offers, you’ll see a pop-up inviting you to link your page to your WhatsApp account. If you don’t have a WhatsApp business account, you can ignore this message.
WhatsApp is a free messaging system that allows consumers to contact each other easily. A WhatsApp Business account lets them communicate easily with favorite businesses. It has several features not available on the regular WhatsApp messaging system.
When you’re ready, go live with your Facebook author page. If you’re not thrilled with the way it looks, don’t panic. You can always make changes later. Also, keep in mind that feeling nervous is natural when you launch yourself into the world of social media promotion. Your fear that “It looks terrible!” may just be a reaction to those nerves.
Use Facebook’s easy-to-use “Invite” feature to invite people to your page. Start with your friends and family members. If they don’t have Facebook accounts, show them how easy it is to set one up and how it’s a terrific way to stay in touch.
While your page is about promotion, don’t make the mistake of thinking you should post book announcements and nothing else.
Make your author page interactive by connecting personally with your readers. Share updates on things happening in your community. Suggest other sites your readers might like. Use your account to talk about your daily life, share your personal activities, and connect with your visitors on a personal level. You don’t have to go into long, rambling detail. Posting one or two sentences a few times a week is enough to build engagement.
What else can you post? Anything that might amuse or interest a reader:
The only rule is to stay away from anything related to politics or current events that might stir up controversy. Unless you’re an explicitly political writer, don’t let your page get dragged into the middle of a fight. Make it clear that you don’t welcome that type of discussion.
Did you know you can post videos to Facebook? Most social media users enjoy videos, and you can record a video that will amuse or entertain them. Since it’s prerecorded, you have time to edit it so that it shows you at your best. Post a video that’s an interview, a question-and-answer session, reading from an excerpt of your book, or anything that might be relevant.
Do you have a big announcement coming up? Or is there someone you’d like to interview on topics related to your book? You can do both with Facebook Live, where you broadcast live on video from your Facebook author page. The best part about Facebook Live is that readers can join in and post comments or questions while it’s playing. It’s like livestreaming on YouTube, and it’s popular with social media users.
Building the number of followers you have is key to building a strong brand on Facebook. How do you grow that number?
If you already have a Facebook account and some friends, use that as your starting point. Announce the launch of your Facebook author page, and invite them to join it.
Are you active on any writers’ groups or other discussion forums? Invite people from those groups to check out your Facebook page. If you deal with clients, suppliers, or other business contacts, send them an invitation, too. It’s easy to send invitations, and it doesn’t cost people anything to join, so your response is likely to be positive.
Continue your outreach efforts, but don’t be overbearing. Mention it once, send an invitation, and don’t nag. Most important, offer them a good reason to visit your page by keeping it updated with fresh content.
Facebook offers an “Insights” feature to track how well your page is doing. You’ll be able to see which days and times of day get the most responses. You can track the ages and other demographics of your visitors, which will guide you in posting the most relevant information.
Social media marketing is a huge area, and it can be complicated. Starting with an author page is a fast, easy way to roll out your marketing campaign. Use it to post updates about your books, daily ruminations, and other posts that will improve engagement and increase your visitor numbers.
We hope you found this guide helpful. If you’re a first-time writer, count on Publishing Xpress for help with affordable printing and top-notch customer service.
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