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This is a guest post by Joan Herbert. Joan is an Assistant Manager at Bank-Opening-Times.co.uk, a curious individual, avid reader, and a passionate creative writer.
Using Facebook Groups to Promote Your Book
Book promotion can involve a significant amount of effort and time, and thus, using the proper tools can be an advantage. If you have recently published a book, you will want to consider utilizing the power of Facebook groups to increase its exposure. When posting in this way, it is important to target the right audience and choose a group that has a large number of members. Furthermore, directing users to a landing page instead of an Amazon link will help maximize sales.
Here are five keys to finding success with Facebook groups:
1. Identify an Audience
While there is the possibility of achieving book sales by posting to virtually any group on Facebook, you are far better off targeting specific areas. As you will find, there is no shortage of groups that focus on reading, writing, and book promotion. Search these groups and determine which ones align themselves with the concepts that you are trying to promote.
For instance, if your book’s theme centers around advancements in medical technology, you may want to look for those with interests in the medical industry. It is also important to note that not all groups allow for book promotion, so be sure to check that you are acting within the designated rules.
2. Avoid Cluttering the Feed
When you are placing a link to your book in a promo group, keep in mind that it will show up on your news feed. And while exposure is the main component of this concept, placing too many links at once can generate a significant amount of clutter. With too much clutter it is possible that your friends and even potential customers may be turned off.
To ensure that your book promotion links do not needlessly fill up the feed, consider posting to one group each day. By implementing this tactic, you will still be able to generate interest in the book, and as it is a more passive means of promotion, it will not interfere with the user’s experience.
3. Maximize Opportunities
The number of sales opportunities is going to directly correlate with the size of the Facebook group, and therefore, posting in groups with a significant number of members is going to be most effective. When choosing from the various writing and book promo groups, try to aim for those that have more than 10,000 members. Picking groups of this size will help you to increase the number of views and the conversion rate.
4. Timing
Choosing the correct time to post links to your group can be critical to the success of the promotion. If you are posting the link while the majority of the group is at work or sleeping, this could limit the attention it will receive. Therefore, it is wise to post at times when the group is more likely to view the feed before its position drops.
5. Link to a Landing Page
Amazon is a trusted site and there is no doubt that posting links to your book’s listing will sell copies, but if you would like to maximize sales, then you will want to link from the group to a designated landing page. In addition to linking to your Amazon listing, a landing page will give you the opportunity to promote other sources where the book can be purchased.
Keep these strategies in mind when using Facebook groups and your book promotion should be met with success!
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Thanks for the link to this article, Nicholas. I will have to see if I can find some Facebook groups that might be interested in my biography of an early 20th figure active in British politics & animal welfare! Cheers, Jon.
I’m sure there will be some, Jon. You’d be surprised. The other day I came across a group for readers of romance with time travel, so…
Hi Nicholas! Great post! I don’t know where I would be without Facebook groups, and all the authors and reviewers I have become friends with! One tip to avoid cluttering your own feed. Create the post on your own Facebook Page and pin it to the top. Share the post to the groups your belong to from your own page. The share does not show up in your personal feed. Using the share tool boosts your post organically increasing the reach in the Facebook algorithm.
Thanks for sharing this great tip!
Great post, Nicholas. I post on many Facebook groups. One does have to be mindful that some groups have rules (certain days of the week only) for posting blogs or promoting books. A good use is to post a new review of your book rather than just the synopsis and link. To be honest, one of the best uses of Facebook genre or category groups is when I post my short story blog link with an image–stimulates lots of traffic to my website. I find daytime posts get better results than nights.
Great tips, Paula! Many thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks for the helpful information about Facebook, Nicholas. 🙂 — Suzanne
Thank you, Suzanne 😀
Great ideas. I thought of using a landing page but didn’t follow through because it adds another step. I wonder what people’s experiences are with it.
It’s useful if you’re published widely. Otherwise, if you’re exclusive with Amazon, I’d advise against it, as it adds an extra step for people who want to buy your book.
I never thought of linking to a landing page rather than Amazon. I haven’t had much luck with FB (but I’ve also put very little time into it). Thanks for the tips. 🙂
A landing page is useful if you’re not exclusive with Amazon. Otherwise, I’d still advise sending people straight to the book page on Zon.
I know nothing about Facebook myself, but I have no doubt that it helps to sell books.
And lots of other stuff too, judging by what my wife buys from there…
Best wishes, Pete.
Oh my! A Facebook ludite 🙂
Did you miss this? 🙂
https://beetleypete.wordpress.com/2017/04/01/blogging-is-not-facebook/
Indeed, I had. Thanks for the link!
I hate posting to groups, but they do sell books. Great tips here.
Thank you, Sue 🙂