By Guest Blogger BARB KELLOGG
WHY SHARING ON FACEBOOK is IMPORTANT AND HOW TO DO IT
This is written for those who are unfamiliar, and maybe a little uncomfortable, with using Facebook to share and promote their work. This article assumes you already have a personal Facebook page (and possibly a Facebook business page) and have a basic familiarity with using it. The information here is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to marketing and/or social media. It’s easy to let the idea of marketing your book overwhelm you, but starting with the basics is a great place to learn. (If you don’t have a Facebook page and/or need to learn more about marketing, see the resources listed at the end of this article.)
Why is Reposting/Sharing on Facebook important?
The main reason: to promote (and help sell) your book/art/etc.
Some of you might remember the 1980s shampoo commercial where the actress says “and she told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on…” while the tv screen goes from one image of the actress to over a dozen. THIS is an example of word of mouth marketing.
Without going into a lot of detail, the more something is shared on the internet, the more “reach” or exposure it will get. If someone writes a great article about you, share that link on your Facebook page(s). (And if you have a blog, don’t be afraid to write a short post and include that link in your blog post, too.) And hopefully your friend tells a friend, and they tell a friend, and so on. Facebook is a free resource to promote your book. Use it! The more people who find out about your book, the more sales you’ll receive.
And a little “tough love” advice: if your books are sitting in your closet and you’re not telling anyone you’ve written this fabulous book, you won’t make any sales. Why did you go to all the hard work and expense of creating a book if no one is going to read it? You MUST tell people about it for them to know about it!
How to Share a Facebook post
Everyone knows how to Like and Comment on Facebook. But do you know how to Share content, and share it in a way that gets a little more attention?
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When you click on the Share icon under a post, a drop down menu appears with several options:
Share Now
Share…
Share to Your Story
Send as Message
Share in a Group
Share on a Friend’s Timeline
Share to a Page
Whew! No wonder it’s confusing! That’s a long confusing list with similar sounding choices. Where to start? Let’s focus on Share Now, Share…, and Share to a Page.
The Difference Between Share Now and Share...
By selecting “Share…", you can write a little something before it appears on your Timeline and in your friends’ News Feed. Your post will get more attention if you care enough to take the time to say something. (After all, if you don’t take the time to care, why should anyone else?)
Select “Share…”and write something like “How cool is this? My publisher wrote a great interview about my new book. Click to read more!” Then click on Post.
Try to keep your posts upbeat and informative. Write in a way that sounds natural to you, as if you’re talking with a friend over coffee. Don’t be afraid to share the same article more than once in a week or month, as different friends are likely to see it at different times. ("Share Now” doesn’t give you the opportunity to write anything. It will post immediately to your page. While it’s better than not sharing at all, we wouldn’t recommend this method 100% of the time.)
Side note: You can opt to schedule your posts in the future. This applies to business pages only. Sit down during an afternoon and create and schedule all your business page Facebook posts for the next month or two. For how to do this, see Facebook’s instructions for "How do I schedule a post and manage scheduled posts for my Page?"
Choosing Public vs Friends
When you click on “Share…”, the other decision you need to make before clicking Post is whether this is a Public post or shared with only Friends. The post is freely shareable by other people if you select Public. (If you’re promoting your book, you want other people to be able to share it on their own timeline for others to see! The more the better!) There is nothing wrong with selecting Friends, but be aware that this drastically limits who can see the post.
Share to a Page
For those of you with a business page on Facebook, sharing a post to your business page and personal page isn’t overkill. You are increasing the number of eyeballs on your announcement by having it in both places. No one sees 100% of what is posted to your pages, and you have people who have liked your business page who aren’t part of your Friend’s list.
When you select Share to a Page, write a little something to draw people in prior to clicking Post. It doesn’t need to be fancy, you don’t have to share deeply personal thoughts, but do say something you are comfortable saying.
Continue to interact with your fans
Don’t post to Facebook and ignore the people who have commented on your post. ENGAGE with your friends by commenting back, either by saying thank you or engaging a little more if it seems appropriate to be more conversational. Just like you wouldn’t ignore someone you met at the grocery store who said hello, don’t ignore people who engage with you on social media.
Other Resources
(The following were found to be helpful, by us or others. We receive no compensation from these resources, nor do we endorse any products or services they sell.)
If Facebook is new to you, or you want to understand it more:
Facebook for Dummies, 7th EditionOn YouTube, search “how to use Facebook”Facebook’s own “how to"
The world of marketing and social media is a broad topic, but here are a couple of general resources to get you started.
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World, by Gary VaynerchukI’d Rather be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion, 4th edition, by Alyson Stanfield Twin Cities Collective: Their blog focuses on business tips for Instagram, but there are lots of posts about other social media.
~Barb Kellogg
BARB KELLOGG PHOTOGRAPHY Specializing in Fine Art Nature Photography
"If You Only Knew" - click to visit my website to find out more about the exhibit and book exploring what mental illness feels like to those living with it.
• Photography Newsletter (http://barbkelloggphotography.com/newsletter-signup), featuring “About the Image”, Upcoming Art Events, VIP Special Sales — best way to stay in the loop!
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