Facebook has almost 200 million active users and grows by nearly 600 thousand users daily. Women dominate Facebook, meaning there are more female users than male. Considering the fact that women do the majority of book buying, Facebook has a pretty good demographic for authors.

Authors are often confused and overwhelmed with how to make Facebook work as a strong marketing tool. The ability to reach your target audience and build a strong fan base is one of the key components that makes Facebook such a useful marketing strategy.

However, there are some tips and techniques that can be applied to Facebook to maximize its potential.

– Don’t use it to only post your release date or facts and figures about you and your book. Use Facebook as a way to interact with your readers, build relationships and create interest.
– Keep your status updates relevant to your career or writing life. Keep it focused but casual.
– Give tiny peeks into the “life of a writer” because this is something that truly fascinates readers.
– Let your “friends” know when your book is coming out, when a review is appearing in a newspaper, magazine or online. Let people know what you are reading and enjoying.
– If you have a blog, link to it on your Facebook page. Provide links to your website and any other relevant web presence you possess.
– Comment on other author pages and respond when people comment on your pages.
– Add photos.
– Keep it active and be consistent.

Facebook is growing in popularity on a daily basis. It is a great outlet for people to reconnect with friends, stay in touch with people who live in different cities, and keep family members updated on their activities. Photos are encouraged as are daily updates about your “status.” It is also a great place for authors to build a database of friends and fans.

Facebook allows authors to create a page dedicated to themselves, their book or even create a Fan Page to generate interest among readers. They can post updates on book tours, reviews posted, coverage obtained and send it out to the entire Facebook community in a matter of moments. Thousands of contacts can be made in an afternoon and it creates an easy and casual way for authors to connect with their readers. Links can be provided to the author’s website or any websites where the author is featured. Authors can be emailed through Facebook or put their own personal email address on their designated page.

We encourage our authors to join Facebook and start interacting with their readers and other writers whom they admire. We do, however, always warn authors that the minute they sign up for Facebook we are not responsible for the hours upon hours they may lose sifting through all of the faces of people from their past, fans of their present and future friends.

Come find us on Facebook and let’s be friends!