Like it or not, Facebook is a mighty platform for exposure. As an author, familiarizing yourself with Facebook can come in handy, especially as a way for your readers to follow you and stay updated on your books. But many of us want to keep our personal and business lives separate, which is why many authors choose to have a Facebook Page separate from their personal profile.
(It’s also against Facebook’s Terms of Service to use a personal profile for business, which is another reason having a Page for your writing is a good thing.)
Audrey Hughey, the founder of the Author Transformation Alliance, talks about the benefits of having an Author Page and how you can connect more with your readers. But even before setting up a Facebook Page, Audrey says it’s important to set your boundaries and stick to them, like deciding who to accept friend requests from.
Making Facebook personal, but not too much
Setting up a Page can help usher readers and people you may not know personally to a place on Facebook. There they can communicate with you, but it doesn’t encroach too much into your personal space.
We’ve talked in past episodes about how important it is to start building your email list as soon as possible. In an age where people are checking Facebook and other social media multiple times a day, it can also be beneficial for authors to set up their online presence. One of the best ways to do that is to publish content that your readers would enjoy or learn from or be entertained by to your Facebook Page. Not only do your readers and followers usually react better to this type of content, but Facebook encourages valuable posts, as opposed to the “sell, sell, sell” posts.
We have people who are marketed to for so much of every single day that they become very guarded and are very worried about being taken. It's very natural. But focusing on quality content and giving people a chance to get to know you, that builds a ‘know, trust, and like’ that leads to sales.
It’s also important to note that just because you may have a large following on one platform, like Facebook, it doesn’t necessarily translate to having large following on other platforms. Look at the platforms you are on (and, more importantly, which platforms your readers are on) and realize you have to work to make those platforms grow for you. Look into the features of the platform you’re focusing on and make sure you’re using them correctly.
And don’t forget to analyze what works and what doesn’t work. Facebook gives you free tools to analyze your posts to see which ones your audience responds well to. When you look at those analytics, you can see what your audience wants more of so you can tailor your content, while also saving yourself time and energy instead posting every random thing you can or whenever you happen to think of it.
Bio of the Author in the Case Study:
Audrey Hughey is the founder of the Author Transformation Alliance, a community dedicated to uplifting and empowering authors at all stages to reach their vision of success step-by-step with a powerful network of support to guide them.
She is an author who enjoys writing in varying genres, from thriller to western horror.
When she's not writing or working with other authors, Audrey is spending time with her husband and two children or looking for any opportunity to go horseback riding.
Resources Referred to in this Episode:
- Audrey Hughey’s Amazon Author Page
- Audrey’s Free Writing Group on Facebook
- The Author Transformation Alliance
- Kindlepreneur Facebook Page
- Book Marketing Show Social Media for Authors – Big Mistakes Many Make
