fan engagement | Social Media Aspirin™

July 7, 2015January 9, 2016

Social Media Resources for Authors

I’ve always been upfront with clients, authors and fans about social media, mentioning the ever-changing landscape on multiple occasions. The truth is there is a lot to keep up with in social media. It’s my profession, and I have to work at that every day myself. No wonder authors – and everybody – feel overwhelmed.

What’s an author to do? If you are unable to invest in someone like me who can take on your social media for you, then it is up to you to keep abreast of the latest changes and best practices. You can do that with these resources and your own commitment to learning.

There are several resources I rely on, and I’ve shared a few excellent ones with you below.

Social Media Examiner

www.socialmediaexaminer.com

This site is easily the best resource on the biggest social media platforms and boasts an extensive archive of highly informative articles. They update every day, their posts are detailed and well-researched, and their contributors are well-known experts. Start here and refer to it often.

Recent article: Thought Leadership: How to Remain Top of Mind in Your Industry

Jon Loomer

www.jonloomer.com

Jon is THE expert in Facebook marketing. If you are a beginner at Facebook, get up to speed on the basics first using the site above. Then come back to Jon’s site and learn the more advanced aspects of how to utilize Facebook tools for the best return on your marketing investment.

Recent headline: The Missed Opportunity: How Brands Are Missing Out on Facebook

Rebekah Radice

http://rebekahradice.com

Rebekah discusses a variety of social media topics in well-written style and with excellent graphics for those of us who are visual learners. Her information is best-suited to beginner and intermediate social media users.

Recent headline: How to Create Visual Content Your Audience Will Love

Much like you wouldn’t go a day without brushing your teeth, I suggest reading one social media article per day. You might divide your reading into weekly themes to get the most reading bang for your buck: Facebook, Twitter, Content Management, Tools, etc.

What information sources do you rely on to learn more about social media? Add to comments, I’d love to see them!

April 15, 2014July 28, 2016

What story are you telling on your social media?

You’ve heard, read, and seen by now that social media is not really a selling mechanism so much as it is a way to tell a story. People respond to stories. They do not respond to constant advertising which will work against you if you use it too often.

Does that mean you never post an event you’re hosting or a widget you’re selling? No, you can do that, especially if you make it enticing to your fans in some way.

If you’ve taken the time to develop your social media personality and platform, whether you’re witty, warm and fuzzy, passionate, to-the-point, or intuitive, and have interacted with your fans in an authentic way, they’ll be okay with the occasional plug. In fact, if you don’t mention your product at all, they won’t see you as someone with a product useful to them.

Most of you follow a brand or personality on social media. Pay attention to what you like and don’t like. Why do you keep following that page or Twitter account? Do they offer coupons, contests, or other ways to save? Are they amusing? Do they use funny photos?

If you are following a personality, you probably love it when you’re allowed a glimpse “behind the scenes” of that person’s life. It doesn’t have to be deeply personal. On Facebook, Dwayne Johnson will post something from a movie set he’s on, a photo of his mom, or the one day a month he makes pancakes. He also talks about charities and philanthropic efforts.

You can do the same on your social media. Be who you are and do it within your platform. For example, some authors will post photos of their work spaces, talk about the trials and triumphs of being a writer, and post about their latest book. Some ask fans to name a character. They do this in a way that represents their true personality while staying within their genre/expertise.

Other brands post fan photos of their product, whether it’s coffee or a magazine, which encourages engagement. Some offer coupons, host contests and giveaways, or host free webinars.

If you set up social media profiles and then never or rarely get back to them, you are still telling a story.

But is that the story you want your customers and fans to see?

October 14, 2012July 28, 2016

5 Ways to Ignite Fan Engagement on Your Facebook Page

Fan engagement is the key to Facebook success. Number of fans doesn’t matter if nobody engages with you. A fantastic landing page doesn’t matter if nobody engages with you. Just having a page hanging out there in the Facebook ether world to prove you’ve written a book or have a fabulous service or product doesn’t matter if nobody engages with you.

The most difficult part of social media as a whole is figuring out what your fans will consistently respond to. It’s a lot art and a little science with some elbow grease thrown in.

1. KISS, baby

Adopt this mantra: Keep It Simple and Short. Studies show that fans respond more often to shorter posts. One study found 80 characters to be ideal – which I think is tough to stick to – and a more recent study found 250 characters or fewer to be optimal. That’s the “science” – here’s the art: you’ll have to experiment with varying post lengths and monitor response rate. You’ll figure it out if you are consistent. Oh…that’s the elbow grease part.

2. Call to Action

A call to action on Facebook can be as simple as asking for likes and comments in a post. It’s amazing how much engagement increases with this easy tactic. “Like this if you read every day like I do!”

Fill in the blank is a useful strategy as well: “My favorite time of day to read is ___________. ” “The cupcake flavor I love the most is __________.” Pick one that relates to your platform, product, or service in some way, or post one that relates to a current holiday, situation, weather season, celebrity, or news item. Be creative.

Ask questions, but ask them the right way. Keep them short, keep them easy to answer, steer away from yes and no questions, and put the question at the end of the post for the best response rate. Be sure to answer the question yourself, but wait until several fans have added input. Putting yourself into it too soon appears to stifle engagement rates. Another trick: respond to fans by name. “Fran, I agree. Fried okra is not for everybody!”

3. Variety is the Spice of (Facebook) Life

I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed the amount of noise happening in your Facebook news feed. How the heck are you going to stand out in the crowd? Remember this – Facebook loves visuals. If you post a beautiful photo, a picture with a funny quote, or a video, fans will interact. Label it in the status field with something short like “Ahhhh, a beautiful vacation spot” or one of my favorites “Bahahahaha” to show how hysterical you think your funny quote is. (Really, my fans LOVE that). If they don’t love it, they might tell you so and that’s okay. We call that engagement.

4. Get in the Zone

80% of the U.S. population lives in the eastern and central time zones; only 4% in my beloved mountain time zone. Study your insights to figure out what time zone the majority of your fans live and post accordingly. A very rough guideline to start with is before work starts at about 7 a.m., around 5 p.m. at the end of the work day, and late evening near 10 p.m. after the kids have gone to bed. Remember, that may be 7 a.m. ET if that’s where your fans live – which make it 5 a.m. for MT folks.

In other words, not during the oh-so-convenient standard 9-5 work day. Studies of best post times are all over the board, so you’ll be fine-tuning this one to figure it out.

5. Days o’ the Week

Certain days see higher engagement rates overall and certain industries get better engagement on specific days. Saturdays show higher engagement across Facebook, and Monday mornings are low as are Friday afternoons. Weekends are active in the entertainment industry, food and beverage on Saturdays, Sundays are best for retail and sports, Wednesday and Thursday for business and finance, and health and beauty on Thursdays. Yeah. It’s a mix of art and science to figure this out for your particular widget.

By utilizing these techniques on a consistent basis, your engagement rate should improve. Engaged fans are loyal fans, and loyal fans are customers who see value in your product or service and will PAY you.

Now get out there and KISS, fill in the blank, get spicy, get in the zone, and embrace Saturdays. You’ll thank yourself later.