Because I don’t think I utilize mine like I should.
I mean, I link to blog posts and I post exciting news whenever I have something to share. But after that, I’m sort of stumped. Do I get personal? Do I stick to my writing journey? Do I post things on my page that I’ve already posted on my personal account?
Ideally, I want my page to be a place where I can have a conversation with readers. A place where I can get to know them and they can get to know me. A place where we can all chat. Only I’m not sure how to go about accomplishing that.
So while I ponder these big questions and try to figure out what to do with my page, I like to watch what others are doing. Because I think a lot of authors use their Facebook Page well. Like Wendy Paine Miller. She does a great job stimulating conversation, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s ever checked out her Moving Thoughts Friday posts.
Then there are authors like Karen Kingsbury, a publishing power house. And well, the interaction she gets on her page is pretty mind-blowing. Of course it helps that she’s crazy-prolific and has a gigantic fanbase, but still. She engages with her readers. And she shares just as many personal updates as she does writing-related ones. So what do you think? Is she onto something here?
So whadaya say? Why don’t we get this conversation started?
Let’s Talk: What’s the point of a Facebook Page? Do you have one? If so, give me a link! I’d love to check it out. And while we’re at it, how do you use your page? Or maybe tell me what you hope to accomplish with it.
Hi, Katie:
I do have them on the left but they don't tell me if a new update has been made. It would help with time if I just went over to them when they are updated.
I have a FB account, but only just started with it this summer. Since I never had a personal FB before I don't worry about the privacy issue. My FB is essentially "open" like my blog, but with FB there's more of an opportunity to post other things I probably wouldn't on my blog–like funny tidbits–and those are the the things that usually get the most response!
All the writers here, and me just a lowly blogger. I'll throw in my two cents anyway – I have a Facebook page – I hardly ever use it. Facebook scares me – it seems really labor-intensive – and kind of like a big black hole of time and effort. I'm a twitter-holic – I heart twitter – doesn't scare me at all. I like "not scary." – Just my two cents. God bless and keep you – and can't wait for your book.
oooh….i'm very interested in this discussion. i'm forever downloading new marketing guides from Hubspot (they are always free) and all of them deal with social media and ways to increase sales using FB, twitter, etc. problem is, i haven't read half of them for time issues. so i just pitter patter around my FB page…at least it's connected with my blog posts automatically, but i never post anything there outside of that, mainly b/c i'm doing good to just get pics of the family up on my regular page.
and as an aside…way cool that Editor popped up with additional thoughts…it's like having an unknown benefactor….mystery is killing me. 🙂
Katie, this is a great topic.
I have a different theory about FB author pages. I think a little goes a long way when it comes to updates and posting. Why? Because most people use Facebook primarily to keep up with friends. It's better to err on the side of posting too little from a pro page than post too much and risk annoying people. And yes, I know some people mix personal and business, but I'll tell you, I had someone defriend me after I posted something personal on the author page! (And it wasn't offensive.) So I'm still feeling it out, but my idea is that it should be mostly writing-related, in some way, on the author page.
I have a Facebook author page as well as a personal FB account (only cuz my agent made me LOL). I haven't posted much on my author page yet…but it's there for whenever my book gets published and I actually have "fans" to connect with. For now, I don't want to post too much information about my book before it gets published; publishers often don't like that.
All great questions, Katie – and of course I have no answers for you. I am winging it when it comes to all things social media. I have a personal facebook page, and then I recently launched a writer facebook fan page (after reading Kristen Lamb's books). I suspect I am not using the latter well – I post my blog posts to it, and links to other writerly type posts, and occasionally pictures of my personal life or nature…but that's about it.
That said, I do like facebook better than twitter, so I think I could get used to using it more regularly and better.
So I have a personal page. And then I realized I needed a fan page – even though fans are a far distant situation. So I claimed the fan page, but that's as far as I could take it. What should an unpubbed do with a fan page for something that's completely unavailable at this point?
I noticed a couple of the posters here are waiting to be contracted by a publisher to activate their presence on Facebook.
Most publishers will be evaluating your networking capabilities before they contract you. Not having a Facebook account won't eliminate your work from consideration, but it does make a statement about your networking initiative. For better or worse, that is becoming a larger piece of the publishing pie, evaluating the way an author connects with others.
An author I "like" posted about watching Case Histories on Masterpiece Mystery last night. I have read the Kate Atkinson novel so was very thankful he pointed me toward the tele-story. Personal engagement is the way to go…
I agree. I wouldn't be down with the whole sucking-blood thing, but the no-sleep-extra-productivity thing would be great! 😛
If only, indeed! I often wish I didn't have to sleep at night. Sorta like a vampire, only I don't want to be a vampire. I just want to have eight extra hours where I can work while the world slumbers. 🙂
Jill, same here. Sometimes I will "share" my blog posts on Facebook and people go and read my blog and then comment on the Facebook post about my blog post. 😛
And Katie, thanks for the great thoughts and your honesty! I'm still trying to figure out how to spend my time. Platform and building an online presence is important, but it's also important to actually finish my manuscript so I can get my work out there! Ah, if only there were more hours in the day. 🙂
You know, I can usually stimulate conversation on Facebook, but not on my blog. I'm talking about a lot of comments and conversation that I don't get at all on my blog. And when I link my blog posts on Facebook, all the comments stay there, and I still have 0 attached to my actual article. So what's up with that?
Love reading all these thoughts, everyone! Thanks for chiming in!
Lindsay – you ask some amazing questions. Questions I'm still trying to figure out myself.
I think the key, as far when to know whether it's the right time to start up a page, is knowing what you hope to accomplish with it and how you plan to use it.
If you want to use the FB page as a way to build your web presence and establish a platform, then it's never too early. If you want to use it to interact with readers….then that'll be hard to do without a book out.
I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. I've seen many writers who are not yet agented or contracted start a Facebook Page and utilize it brilliantly! It all comes down to what you're comfortable with and how you want to spend your time. 🙂
Well, I don't use mine very well but it's on my to do list to do:) Since FB created lists, I'm using my original page, the personal one as a writer's page too. ahem.. if you visit it you won't know the difference. I'm way behind with this. What do I want to do with it?
I'd like to encourage others by simply supporting them and also and promote others. That's the plan for now. Thanks for this post.
You asked for a link. Here it is: http://www.facebook.com/AliDentTX
Great question, K!
Like Sarah, I've created an author FB page, but I haven't activated it yet, mostly because I don't want to until I'm under contract with a publishing house. Until then, I don't really have anything to advertise other than my blogs, so I'm not sure who would "Like" me other than the friends and family that are already on my personal page.
That said, one of the FB pages I follow that I think is genius is the singer Plumb (Tiffany Lee). She posts both personal and professional things on her page (I don't think she even has a separate personal page) and her fans interact with her constantly. She's very good at allowing her fans to get to know her via her personal posts & questions about the things we all struggle with–like relationships & parenting, plus she puts her music out there. She also runs contests through FB.
The only thing I plan to be careful about (and caution others) is that if you are going to be "personal" on a very public page, beware of posting your location, pics of your kids or using their real names. Call me crazy, but there are too many crazies out there for that.
I have a facebook page but I don't use it wisely. Right now lack of time is my biggest problem. I need to find my blog into it and get some conversation going.
Katie, what a timely topic! I was just wondering if I should create an Author page yet. I have a lot of friends on my personal page–all people I know–and I've just been using that to post blog updates (and personal status updates too). I don't have a lot of views on my blog yet, but almost all of them have come from Facebook referrals, so I guess posting the status updates there is working. I feel strange starting an Author page when (1) I haven't yet finished my first novel, and (2) before I even have an agent or publishing deal for my first novel.
Any thoughts on that?
For me, I love seeing authors interact in a personal way on their Facebook page. I think all social media–Facebook, Twitter, blogs, whatever–should show us who an author is first and foremost. A direct marketing of their books is secondhand. While Karen Kingsbury does frequently have updates about her book, she also asks readers their opinions about things like which book cover they like better or (in her current series) who they want her protagonist to end up with. That sort of interaction is indeed a type of marketing, but it gets her readers invested in her books before they even hit the shelf, which in turn makes them more excited to read them when they finally do come out.
I'm not sure I know what I'm doing with mine either. Because I have all the same friends on my profile as I do 'likes' of my page. So why not just post everything to my profile? See, I think I'm doing it all wrong …
I don't have a Fan page, and I really don't see the logic for me right now. There is nothing much to share right now with readers besides the agonizing writing process and time contraints:)
I'll hope over and take a look tonight when I get home from work!
Right now, I only have my one FB page that is strictly for close friends and family. It's my private place to visit with my family and where I can be myself.
I've had friend requests from authors and bloggers, but I have to explain that my FB is for family only. I think we all need to have that one private part in the social network.
Since I have gotten requests, I have been tossing the idea around about an author's page. I just don't think I'm quite at that stage yet.
I'm wrestling with this one. I would love to move everyone who isn't a close friend or family over to my author page, but folks seem reluctant to move. And I'm reluctant to 'unfriend' people or tell them to go to my author page when they make a friend request.
I guess I'll just keep going for now the way I am until light dawns on Marblehead and I can figure out what to do.
Oh – another thing I should have added, Eileen. In the left column, you should see a list of pages you have liked. Yes? No?
Wendy, you want to know what's totally true (and kinda funny)? I wrote this blog post BEFORE you did the All-I's! Because I seriously seriously think you use your Facebook page really well! I know I like visiting it to check out your questions!
Eileen – there's actually this algorithm Facebook uses to determine which posts make it into your feed. The more you comment or like a particular person or a particular page's updates, the more likely that feed will show up for you.
Katie!
You stinker (and I mean that in the most loving of ways). You couldn't leave it with me just uplifting you. See, this is why I love you. Our friendship is such a mutual blessing!
Anyhoo, I'm having fun with mine. If an idea sounds like fun, I try it. I'm sure I could be doing more and I have ideas I want to try, but sometimes I fear my plans might be too out of the box. 😀 I guess I need to try to keep at least a foot or a toe inside the box or something.
~ Wendy
I writer friend of mine concluded, after careful monitoring, that the personal posts get the most reaction on her facebook page and draw in the most readership. I think eventually Google+ and Twitter will become the bigger forum for social media and FB will fade. But currently, FB is good, I believe. I don't use my page but would if I was marketing a book or other business.
I didn't know you had one. Just went over and liked it.
I have one but don't use it near enough or well enough. I look forward to reading the comments here.
What I would really like to know is if there is a way to get feeds of page updates that you have liked, cause always have trouble finding the pages after I've liked them.
My blog is linked to my FB page, but that's about all I do with it. Blogging and Twitter keeps me busy enough. If I want to work on my book, something has to give, and that was FB.
Besides, FB has tons of annoying rules that keep changing. Life's too short to waste on that. 😉
I'm watching all of you to see what purpose it really is in case I ever need one. I guess for me, I go to their pages for information only.
Oh, one other thing…They mentioned the value of buying ads on Facebook. Apparently one of their authors saw a double in their number of followers in ONE DAY when they bought an ad.
Great question, Katie! I've created the skeleton of a FB page, but I haven't activated it yet because I'm scared of the time factor and keeping up with it.
At the ACFW Conference, I attended the Zondervan chat and asked a question about social media. When they talked about FB pages, the marketing director said she prefers that authors get one going sooner than later since it's difficult to switch personal friends over later (like what Cathy mentioned). They also mentioned authors who do a good job at their pages…Karen Kingsbury, Robin Jones Gunn, Vannetta Chapman, and Rachel Hauck. When I look at what they all do, they post regularly and they blend writing news with personal snippets.
Based on their advice, I should probably get moving and activate mine, but it's a little scary (okay, a lot scary) to take the leap! 🙂
Very good question, one that I ask myself when I consider my few dozen fans on my author page. I keep reminding myself that despite Twitter's popularity, Facebook is still the leading–by far–social media environment and perhaps I should try harder there.
I'm not active on my FB right now. But I think it can make a difference if done right. I think once you have a fanbase it's a wonderful thing. But we all have to start somewhere.
I'm struggling with this right now. I've created an Author Page on Facebook, and that's where I plan to post all or most of my writing-related comments, talk about new releases etc… That's the page where I 'hope' to interact with my readers. Unfortunately, I have over a thousand 'friends' on my personal Facebook page. Do I keep them all or try to get people to move over to my Author Page? True, I do 'know' a LOT of those friends, either personally or through writing groups, so we have some connection. But I'm wrestling with hanging onto people I've accepted friend requests from that I have no interaction with at all. I'm trying to whittle it down and I think I may ask future friend requests if they'll go to my Author Page if I don't know them. It's a tough call. Everyone looks at Facebook a little differently I think. I'm more of the mindset that I'd like to keep my private and professional lives separate, to a point. There's a line for me, and when someone I don't know crosses it, I get a little creeped out.
Right now, I just have one to have one. It seems like a good way to get news out. You should check out Amy Clipston's author page. It's incredible. She's got her books posted, and all sorts of cool stuff.
I think a page is good because there's no limit on friends/fans. You should do whatever you want with it. 🙂
Can't help on this one, I'm not on FB I'm afraid. Heck, I only joined Twitter last week 🙂