How to Market Your Book Using Facebook: A FAQ

1. Should my Facebook marketing campaign use a Facebook fan page, a group, or a profile?
   • Facebook does not allow “fake” profiles; that is what Facebook fan pages are for. Facebook will kick you off its website if it finds out your profile is fake.  You can use a profile if you use it as an author or other real person but not if the title of your profile is the title of your book.
   • Facebook groups are OK but they are becoming a thing of the past. They don’t have the same options or visibility as Facebook fan pages.
   • Facebook fan pages are the go-to. They offer the same functionality as profiles but with business-related application options.
2. Should my Facebook marketing presence represent the author, the book, or the publishing house?
   • The book, unless you are going to market the book using your profile. In that case, you should still have a fan page or group for your book and use your profile as a means of marketing the page or group. The publishing house might have its own social media presence but customers usually resonate more with a book or an author than with a publishing house.
3. Whose responsibility is it to create and update the Facebook page?
   • This depends on your publisher. Some may be more willing to do marketing for you, but it is increasingly up to you to define your social media presence. The more involved you are, the more likely your social media accounts will be accurate and appropriate to what you want your Facebook presence to say about your book.
4. How do you acquire Facebook fans, groupies, or friends?
   • Start with your real friends. Then friends of friends. Then friends of friends of friends. Your publishers’ friends. People who visit your website. Readers, people at your readings. People you meet in trains, on planes, in automobiles. Anyone and everyone you meet. Make it easy by giving your Facebook page a vanity URL (www.facebook.com/mybooktitle). Put a badge on your website that invites visitors to check out your Facebook page. Connect with people: write about your page in groups or pages for similar books or interests related to your books.
5. How should I update my account? What will make people want to buy my book?
   • Quotations from your book, advice if appropriate, related events (book signings, readings, etc.), discounts, related news, and even unrelated news. People want businesses to have a voice – to have a soul. Do not repeat the sentence, or anything similar to the sentence, “Buy my book.” This is the fastest way to aggravate your fans or friends. Update with videos such as book trailers, links, and funny status updates or discussions.
6. How do I keep track of my success?
   • Facebook keeps track of engagement for you on the Facebook fan page, tracking “likes,” “comments,” and more.
7. What are some good examples of book marketing on Facebook?
   • Check out my portfolio! No but seriously. It could give you some ideas.  And maybe check out Lev Raphael’s “My Germany” group. And really, any big brand Facebook page (Starbucks, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s) for ideas.
   • Another good resource to help you get started is Mashable’s Facebook Guidebook. Mashable is my go-to for up-to-date social media news and analysis. It’s on top of new technologies such as the iPad, Google Buzz, Chatroulette, and Foursquare.

Stay tuned for an in-depth analysis of Facebook fan pages and a Twitter FAQ. Good luck marketing your books, and please don’t hesitate to send questions or comments to ellenafeldman@ellenafeldman.com.