You want to succeed as a writer, so you’re using Facebook to boost your presence on social media. You’re active on your author page, you interact and reply to comments, and you linked your page to your author website. So…why is your fan count lagging?
Here are 6 ways you might be using Facebook wrong—and the fixes you need to implement now.
You’re constantly advertising. We know you’re excited about having your book published, and it’s natural that you would want more people to read your work. But if you constantly post links to buy your book on Amazon, it might seem like you’re spamming your fans’ Facebook feeds. People log into Facebook to communicate socially. Your followers won’t want to be pressured into reading or buying something, no matter how much they admire your work. Try cutting back on the hard sales pitches.
Your posts are uncomfortably TOO personal. It’s fun to keep fans updated on your latest activities, but it’s important to maintain boundaries. Private drama or mundane details (like the leftover soup you had for lunch) shouldn’t be shared on your Facebook author page. Posting about personal disagreements, financial matters, or household problems will make you seem unprofessional. Yes, you want to get your followers talking and interacting with you, and one of the best ways to do that is to ask questions. Ideal content to share: writing tips, public readings, author meet-ups, and forthcoming publications.
You direct viewers to too many outside links. If you’re always posting links to other sites rather than sharing insights and connecting with your fans, you’re directing them away from your Facebook author page. You definitely don’t want fans drifting off to another site and forgetting about you! While you shouldn’t eliminate outside links altogether, remember to post some links to your website or other social media accounts.
You’re not using images effectively. Facebook posts with images consistently outperform text-only posts. And while you may be using an amazing headshot, don’t overlook the importance of your Facebook cover photo! Use an image that creates a consistent author brand by tying into your author website and other social media sites.
You’re not posting consistently. You may have started out strong, posting and responding to comments regularly. But as time passed and life got busier, your Facebook posts and interactions became more sporadic. If you haven’t been consistently popping up on your fans’ news feeds, you’ll soon find yourself “out of sight, out of mind.” And if visitors see that the last time you posted on your Facebook timeline was back when culottes were in fashion (culottes should never be in fashion), they’ll bounce to more current Facebook pages.
If you’re not posting often enough because you don’t have the time, you can schedule your Facebook posts in advance. And by offering your followers fun, informative, share-worthy content, you increase the odds that they’ll share your posts with their friends and ultimately build your fan base.
You aren’t using any Facebook ads. Yes, we DID say not to over promote. But Facebook ads or boosted posts can be targeted to a very specific audience—including people who are similar to your fans but who aren’t following you yet. You’ll be able to reach potential new fans without bombarding your current fan base with ads.
Keeping up with social media is a must-do for authors who want to move forward in their writing careers. If you find that you don’t have the time or inclination to regularly schedule engaging, informative posts on your Facebook author page, you might want to consider hiring a Virtual Assistant.
QUESTION: Are there other tips you know for gaining more fans on Facebook?
I am hoping to see my book, THE BLACK KNIGHTS, on the ‘bedtime sellers list’ down there in Atlanta.