Facebook can arguably be considered the first real social media platform. While Facebook has seen its fair changes and overhauls, for the most part it has never been swayed from its position as Social Media King. It is, without a doubt, the social media tool that you need to keep even if you plan on using no other platforms. In this day and age, not having a Facebook will result in strange looks. The benefit of  Facebook is if you are not a fan of social media, you don’t have to post 2-3 times a day. You can post just once or twice a week and it’ll quench your audience’s thirst for the time being.

Although many, if not all, social media platforms are slowly implanting paid services, there’s a lot that an author or brand can do for free. An example of social media done right as an author is Gretchen Archer, who pens the The Davis Way Crime Caper series. She’s great at captivating her audience and keeping them interested in the next book, and much of this effort is how she effectively uses Facebook.

Some tips on using Facebook:

1. Create an author page. If you want to keep your audience and friends separate, make a page that is about you as an author so you can keep tabs on your professional self and your personal self. We have a lot of authors ask us if they should make a book page too, but we don’t recommend that as book pages don’t see the same amount of interest as author pages. Plus, if you plan on writing more than one book, it’s easier for everyone if you keep it all in one location.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask. If you’re just starting a new author page, those 5 likes (most likely from your other family members) may seem disappointing. But are you using your Facebook friends to your advantage? Don’t be afraid to invite everyone and anyone to like your new book page.
3. Post updates on book-related news. Book cover reveals, release date reveals, short excerpts, events, and other topics are always great announcements to post on Facebook.
4. Support other authors. Is your publisher an indie press? Helping out fellow authors from your indie press by sharing their book events or announcements is always a great way to show you’re part of the team. If you just finished a great book, posting a review on Facebook is another way to show your audience what kind of books you’re interested in.
5. Cross-promote yourself. If you have a blog, don’t forget to announce your newest posts on Facebook and other social media sites that you have! It’s just one easy way that you can send traffic to your blog.
6. Show us what you’re into. Did you just read a captivating article on bananas as a superfood, or another crazy couch-jumping Tom Cruise scandal? Sometimes we need a pause from the constant author promotion and posting an interesting link from the internet is the perfect break we need.
7. Look into boosting posts. You don’t want to waste $5 or $10 every day boosting every single little post you write on Facebook, but if you just released your first book, boosting the book availability announcement with a link to your website or Amazon may help a little with sales. At the least, it’s giving your new book more exposure. It’s worth trying to see whether or not it’s a success.

There are more ways to promote yourself on Facebook using a small budget, but we believe that most of it can be done for free. Since almost 1.50 billion people own a Facebook and 65% of those users log in at least once a day (according to The Independent), you can reach a wide demographic and find your new audience.

Do you use Facebook as an author tool? Tweet @mckinneypr on ways that you use it!