Some social media platforms can seem a little intimidating especially if you’re short of time.
You might ignore Facebook because you feel it’s too time consuming or think it’s only filled with old friends catching up.
But if you get on the cool side of the learning curve, you can see some massive benefits to your writing business. Learn to do Facebook in 15 Minutes a Day and you’ll be on your way to making more for every word you write.
Facebook – In 15 Minutes a Day
With over 500 million active users, spending more than 700 billion minutes per month online, Facebook is a natural first stop for writers looking to establish an online audience. Some of Facebookʼs biggest benefits include:
- Reach. A massive global audience means “everyone” is there.
- Ease of use. If my mom can figure it out, anyone can!
- Ability to easily add images, audio, and video to your page.
- Ability to email entire groups of fans with the click of a button.
Create a “Like” page
Your first step is to create a “Like” page for your book, blog, or freelance writing business. Until recently, these pages were called “Fan” pages. Personal profiles limit the number of people you can be friends with, while “Like” pages do not.
“Like” pages enable you to create an RSS feed and build custom applications. If this sounds complicated, itʼs not.
There are a number of tutorials online with step-by-step instructions for creating a “Like” page.
Here are two good ones to help get you started:
Squidoo: How to Create A Facebook Page
OR
YouTube: Facebook Fan Pages: How To Create and Promote Yours
Facebook page creation is also something thatʼs fairly easy to outsource. You should be able to find someone affordable to do it for you at any freelance bid site, or trade favors with an online buddy. You can also use fiverr. Iʼve personally used fiverr to have several pages set up. Theyʼre always good (though not especially great).
Once youʼve created your Facebook “Like” page, establish a consistent presence.
Hereʼs how to do it in 15-minutes per day
- Update your status. Be sure to make it relevant to your audience. Donʼt talk about what you had for breakfast unless youʼre writing a cookbook! (1 minute)
- Add new blog posts, videos, photos, etc. to your wall. You can automate this process from within Facebook so pre-defined updates can automatically post to your wall. (2 minutes)
- Review comments on your wall, responding with your usual wit and wisdom. (4 minutes)
- Review your news feed and spend a few minutes commenting on posts and updates from your contacts. (4 minutes)
- Respond to invitations and messages in your inbox. (2 minutes)
- Locate new people to invite to your “Like” page by checking out the friends of current fans. (2 minutes)
This time frame may seem ambitious, but itʼs easy enough to pull off as long as you have a fast Internet connection and the focus required to treat it like a job instead of a hobby. Depending on how many messages and posts youʼre getting, and how quickly youʼre adding new friends, you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
You could easily lose an entire day to puttering around Facebook, but your goal is to set a time limit and maximize your minutes. If you have extra time, you can go back and play Farmville or challenge a friend to a game of Scrabble; add more friends or engage in conversation.
In the meantime, though, get in, get out, and build that fan base!
Your friends on Facebook will love you if you give this page a “like.”
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About Sean Platt
Seems like a good strategy for those crunched on time when it comes to doing social media!
It’s definitely not the BEST way to do social media, but it is a highly efficient schedule if you can nail it!