[Facebook] Authorpreneur Looks at: FACEBOOK PAGE vs FACEBOOK PROFILE
Authorpreneur Looks at: FACEBOOK PAGE vs FACEBOOK PROFILE
If, like billions of other people, you are already an avid Facebook user, you probably know about all the different ways the platform can be used. One major aspect of Facebook’s appeal is the fact that you can promote a business and interact with customers via a dedicated Facebook Page for free. It’s a great way to really get to know your public and grow your fan base.
First things first: there is a huge difference between a Facebook Profile and a Facebook Page. Everyone gets a Facebook Profile when they sign up to Facebook, but this is a personal profile that uses a given name. This profile is only for personal use, and you can add friends and family members, personal information, links, photos that you would like to share, and make it as public or private as you please. A Facebook Page, on the other hand, is affiliated with a business and/or organization and can be named whatever you please. You can invite people to “like” and share your Page, and share all information pertaining to your business. It’s important to know that if you use a Facebook Profile to promote a business you are violating Facebook’s Terms of Services, so it’s best to keep the Profile for personal use and a Page for business use.
If you open your Facebook newsfeed in a browser and look at the bottom of the right-hand side bar you will see an option to create a Page — click on the link and follow the prompts to create your Page. Creating the Page is the easy part, but making it stand out is where the hard work lies. Your end goal is to grow your target market and sell more books, and an optimized Facebook Page can help you do exactly that. Remember: your Facebook Page represents your brand, and really needs to showcase it effectively.
Choose the right name for your page — once you have chosen it you cannot change it. You want to use a name that represents your work correctly, and one that will pop up on a Google search. Writers tend to use their own names or pen names as this is usually what people search for, and recognize. I recommend that you set up one author page and not multiple book-specific pages. That way, you only need to add content to one page and you do not need to start from scratch to find an audience each time a new book comes out. Customize your vanity URL to represent that name too. Make sure that the look and feel of your profile matches the rest of your online presence: use the same logos and photos, and the same type of language in your profile information. For a few indie author examples, check out Tom Swyers, Lincoln Cole, and Karen M. Bryson. Again, your page represents your brand, and it’s important to strive for continuity and authenticity. It’s also really important to optimize your About section as this is where people go first. Most authors ignore their Facebook About page or only include 1–2 sentences. Having a robust About page similar to Jodi Picoult or Anne Rice will set you ahead of the pack. Remember to be clear, concise, and remember to use targeted keywords!
SEO really matters, because proper optimization makes a huge difference in where you land in search engine results when someone searches for your work, or similar work to yours. It’s absolutely necessary to nail down your top 6 targeted keywords and to use them throughout your page (as naturally as possible). Put yourself in your target market’s shoes and think about what they like, dislike, want, and need, and choose your keywords according to that. Play around with them and see what works — the great thing about running a Facebook Page is that you have access to Facebook Insights, a variety of analytics pertaining to the traffic and performance of your page. Also: don’t forget to always optimize the first line of any post that you make on your page as this is the part that gets picked up by search engines.
Remember to add a phone number and address to your page, as this makes you appear all the more professional (even if most of your sales are done online), and also backlink to your business page on other channels. A great way to do this is to add a link to your Facebook Page from your landing page, and in any guest posts you may write for blogs.
You can add up to three keywords to describe your Facebook Page category: use them wisely! These categories can be changed at any time by clicking on the “About” tab and editing the category section. Facebook will then ask you if you would like to make changes to your description, so that could be a good time to go through it and double check that you are using your targeted keywords in the right way!
There are also quite a few awesome apps out there that you can integrate with your Facebook Page. App suites like Heyo or Gleam allow you to create contests and campaigns for your Page, others like Pagemodo help you structure a tabbed page. You can integrate MailChimp, add a Facebook polls app, or even sell products directly from your page via the Facebook Store app. There are all kinds of apps for all kinds of needs, and adding them to your page is quite easy. Just search for the app in the Facebook search bar, click on the “Use App” button and follow the prompts.
The bottom line is that you want your Facebook Page to work for you by growing your target market organically. While you can boost your page “likes” by using a sponsored post, an awesome Page will attract attention without you needing to spend a dime. The main tips to keep in mind are the following: maintain a consistent and original voice, post regular updates and interact with your fans, provide accurate and clear information about your work and your business, and don’t hesitate to invite your friends to “like” you. One downside to the Page is that you can only invite your Facebook friends to “like” you, but if you comment and share regularly as your Page rather than as your Profile people will be able to find and “like” you that way too. As with everything, there may be a little trial and error at first, so check out some popular author Facebook Pages and see what they are doing that works.
Best,
Marquina
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Growth Hacking Tip: Use names in your subject line
Using a user’s name in a subject line is one of the easiest ways to increase your email open rates. This can usually be done through most email service providers using a function called a “merge tag.” Of course, this assumes that you’ve also collected a name field from your potential readers at some point.
Meal of the Week: I made this! Sole arrabbiata with celery root mash:
Photo of the Week: It rained a lot over the weekend. Here we are finishing an NYC Subway Map puzzle.
Originally published at Authorpreneur Launch.
