Krissy Brady

Feeling a little lost on Facebook?

I totally understand, but remember: social media’s only as overwhelming as you allow it to be.

Below are 19 tips and content suggestions for your Facebook page. All are quick to implement so you can start saving time right now. Awe.some.

1. Only Create One Page

You are your brand, so there’s no need to create one page per book or product.

Create a page for your career as a whole, and turn it into an information hot spot for your niche/genre.

2. Personalize Your Facebook Page URL

Choose a custom URL that’s either your name or your brand name (or the same name you use on the rest of your social media accounts).

3. Create a Stellar Cover Photo

Your cover photo should not only captivate your target audience, it should be the visual representation of what your writing career stands for.

For nonfiction writers, you can include your brand name and elevator pitch. For fiction writers, you can include your name and the genres you specialize in.

Switch it up during each career milestone to keep things interesting.

(And of course, make sure to follow Facebook’s cover photo guidelines.)

4. Post No More Than 3 Times Per Day

According to Buddy Media, pages that post 1 – 2 times per day receive 40% higher engagement from their followers than pages that share over 3 posts per day.

Nuff said.

5. Keep Your Updates Concise

Posts around 100 characters or less receive higher engagement rates than longer posts.

6. Ask Simple Questions

Simple questions equal a higher engagement rate.

If your followers can answer your question quickly and move onto their next task, they’ll be more likely to participate in the discussion.

7. Post Fill-in-the-Blanks

Fill-in-the-blank sentences are a fun and easy way to engage with your audience.

Followers will post witty one-liners or offer an honest look into who they are, helping you to better cater to their needs in the future.

8. Post Photo Caption Contests

Post images as they relate to something happening to your character. Have your followers fill in the dialogue.

9. Post Calls-to-Action

Describe a scenario from one of your books, and ask your followers what they would do in the same situation.

Example: “Click “like” if you would do this, or “share” if you would do that.”

10. Learn Facebook’s Photo Sizes Off By Heart

There’s nothing more time consuming than having to look up proper image sizing each time you want to upload a photo to Facebook.

Memorize this list of Facebook picture sizes so you can fluently add photos to your timeline.

11. Post Compelling Photos

I bet you didn’t see this one coming.

Use photos to emotionally connect with your audience, share a behind-the-scenes look of what’s going on with your work-in-progress, or link the photo to an interesting online destination.

12. Share The Quirks In Your Creative Process

Your followers will be compelled to stay in touch with you and support your writing career if they feel like you’re sincerely connected to your fans.

Share quirky parts of your creative process, funny spelling mistakes you found when revising, etc. Have fun!

13. Avoid Using a Third Party App When Updating

According to Mari Smith, when you use a third party app to update your Facebook page, your posts receive less visibility on the news feed.

Even though it won’t always be possible, do your best to update your Facebook page manually.

14. Tell Your Fans What To Do

The question your followers will ask directly after “What’s in it for me?” is “What do you want me to do?”

After defining what your post will mean to them, suggest what to do with it.

Example: Post 3 examples of your upcoming book cover, and have your followers “like” their favorite.

15. Funnel Followers To Your Mailing List

Obviously, one of your big end goals is to sell your writing.

In order to do that, you’ll have to turn your Facebook followers into subscribers, so you can consistently keep in touch about upcoming books and other promotions.

Always (always!) make sure your website address is part of your bio, and include a call-to-action to encourage them to subscribe.

16. Drop What Doesn’t Work

Immediately. You might think your post ideas are amazing, but if your followers don’t bite, don’t annoy them.

Check on your Facebook page insights periodically to find out which posts receive the most responses, and drop anything that’s attracting tumbleweeds.

17. Don’t Obsess

Checking your statistics every 15 seconds isn’t going to make more traffic come to your page.

Focus instead on creating a consistent routine your followers can depend on. Ironically, by not focusing on the numbers, they’ll grow substantially.

18. Reply While You’re Waiting

Instead of twiddling your thumbs in a waiting room or line, put them to good use by replying to Facebook comments via your cell phone.

When you get home, you can dedicate your time on the computer to writing your next masterpiece.

19. Know Where You’re Going

Most importantly, know where you want your Facebook page and other social media accounts to take you.

Why are you building them? To sell eBooks? To find an agent/publisher?

Check out this excerpt from Chuck Sambuchino’s book, Create Your Writer Platform, which includes the suggested number of followers you should shoot for through your platform.

While Facebook isn’t included in this list, it will help you to create concrete, overall goals for yourself.

Quality over quantity people! No matter your numbers, always focus on quality! Quantity is earned through quality.

Which Facebook engagement strategies work best for you? What strategies would you add to this list?

For more tips to enhance your Facebook page, download the Social Caffeine ebook, 10 Commandments for Authors on Facebook. Download your copy from Amazon here. Amazon UK users: get your copy here.

Below is an enormous list of hashtags used by writers on Twitter. Click on each to immediately start making new connections!

To Connect With Readers

1. #Books
2. #BookWorm
3. #BookReview
4. #GreatReads
5. #IndieThursday
6. #MustRead
7. #Novel
8. #Paperbacks
9. #Storytelling
10. #WhatToRead
11. #WriterWednesday
12. #WW

To Promote To Readers

13. #99c
14. #AuthorRT
15. #BookGiveaway
16. #BookMarketing
17. #FreeBook
18. #FreeDownload
19. #FridayReads
20. #Novelines
21. #TeaserTues

To Discuss The Writing Process

22. #1K1H
23. #AmWriting
24. #AmEditing
25. #CopyWriting
26. #Creativity
27. #EditGoal
28. #Editing
29. #IndieAuthor
30. #RomanceWriter
31. #StoryStarter
32. #WIP
33. #WordAThon
34. #WordCount
35. #WriteChat
36. #WriteGoal
37. #WriteMotivation
38. #WriteTip
39. #WritersLife
40. #Writing
41. #WritingBlitz
42. #WritingParty
43. #WritingPrompt
44. #WritersBlock
45. #WroteToday

To Discuss Genres

46. #Crime
47. #Comedy
48. #DarkFantasy
49. #Fantasy
50. #Dystopian
51. #Erotica
52. #HistFic
53. #Historical
54. #Literature
55. #LitChat
56. #LitFic
57. #MemoirChat
58. #MGLit
59. #Mystery
60. #NonFiction
61. #Paranormal
62. #Poetry
63. #PoetryMonth
64. #Romantic
65. #RomanticSuspense
66. #TrueStories
67. #ScienceFiction
68. #SciFi
69. #ScriptChat
70. #ShortStory
71. #SteamPunk
72. #Suspense
73. #UrbanFantasy
74. #WomensFiction
75. #YA
76. #YALit
77. #YALitChat

To Announce Book Launches

78. #Amazon
79. #eBook
80. #eReaders
81. #iPad
82. #Kindle
83. #KindleBargain
84. #Kobo
85. #KPD
86. #Nook
87. #Pubit
88. #SmashWords
89. #Sony
90. #WebFic

To Discuss Indie Publishing

91. #AskAgent
92. #AskAuthor
93. #AskEditor
94. #BookMarketing
95. #EBooks
96. #GetPublished
97. #IndiePub
98. #PromoTip
99. #Publishing
100. #PubTip
101. #SelfPub
102. #SelfPublishing

How often do you use hashtags? Which ones seem to work best for you?

If you want to learn more about building your author brand on Twitter, check out the Social Caffeine ebook, 10 Commandments for Authors on Twitter. Download your copy from Amazon here. Amazon UK users: get your copy here.