Simple strategies are the easiest to repeat. In a client call, I developed the framework of this simple social media strategy authors can use for Facebook. It can help you find groups in which you could develop an audience.
At first, my client found the concept difficult to grasp. How could posting comments on 10 links to topics which had nothing to do with promoting her book help her sell her book? How could joining parenting groups help her, if she could only promote her book once in every 15 posts? The answer to that question is a separate blog topic. However, the following strategy may be applied to both fiction and non-fiction social media campaigns.
First, go to Facebook.
- Join groups based on your book’s target audience. I suggested ‘Christian Parent’ as this client’s search term. Several groups with significant memberships came up.
- Familiarize yourself with group after you are approved for membership.
- Post comments if you see something which you resonate with—book related or not.
- Find comments related to your book’s topic. I suggested she look for comments about reading and reading materials.
- Let the comments give you ideas for your research (the next step).
Now, go to Google.
- Choose private search so your past search habits don’t factor into what the search engine dishes up.
- Search for solutions to share.
- Search for things you can comment on.
The following are some ideas I shared with my client for a comment related to reading/books.
1) How to find good reading material
2) Best sources for Christian books other than Amazon
3) Used Christian book sources (Goodwill, Salvation Army, local thrift stores)
4) Where to find dependable reviews
5) What are the favorite Christian children’s books of all time?
6) What should a parent look for in a children’s book?
Just one of these searches could turn up many different ideas/links to useful resources, so start an idea file in which you save ideas and links.
Next, go to your blog.
You want to post a short comment with its link on your blog first. As you write your blog post, consider the following:
- Choose a good title. Use a keyword such as childrens publishing, Christian publishing, Christian children’s books, middle grade Christian reading, etc.
- Write a short comment about the link’s content. It only needs to be a few sentences.
- Paste in the link.
- Make sure you have a plugin (if you are using WordPress) which will publish your post to your Facebook page. Then make sure it is turned on (in Publishing box). If you’ve set it up correctly, it should be on by default.
- Save a draft.Review what you’ve got for punctuation, spelling and grammar.
- If you feel comfortable with what you wrote, then you can push the Publish button.
Finally return to Facebook.
Once the blog has been published, you should find it on the page you access when you click on your name in Facebook. Home takes you to your Newsfeed page—not where you want to be at this step.
- Find your post.
- Click on ‘Share’ beneath the post.
- Share the post to your business page.
- Share the post in each group with the same comment you used in the post.
Now, every time someone likes your post and shares it, the potential of it gaining broader exposure grows. At the same time, you are increasing the trust group members feel when they see your posts.
