Facebook pages... is there a point anymore?

I think you'll find it depends on the age of your readers. A millennial is far more likely to Like something on FB than a Baby Boomer or Gen-Xer.

And you can link twitter to facebook so your tweets show up there.

Facebook isn't high on my priority list for social networking - I only have a page because it's expected.

However it can't be true that "no one" sees my updates, because I do get likes and comments on individual posts - the level, and therefore the reach, varies greatly by how inherently interesting the posts are. Book giveaways, cover art, publication dates and so on get more likes and are therefore pushed out to more fans.

The bottom line is - only post content your fans are interested in!

And it's free, so even if only a few people see your posts, you're not out anything but the few seconds it took to type an update.

Not even that much - most of my Page content is RSS feed from my blog

I use the RSS Grafitti app - it's quite easy to set up.

There's a thing in Fb to link to your twitter and vice versa (and my blog is linked to post to my tweets too...website guy says it's very simple to do in wordpress. I nod like I know what he's talking about..but I can ask if you like - on different platforms too)

The new changes to Facebook will make it harder. Like ant media though, if you use it properly and create engaging content, you should be fine. Those who just post an RSS feed may find it become a ghost town.

I originally used it as an RSS feed, but I've been tempted to change this outlook now. I'm going to use Facebook for my writing. Update my writing progress, upload pictures, talk about where I write, do polls for cover artwork, ask questions etc

Still have to decide on a few things, but I first need to get people to 'like' me. That's next month though.

I'm not sold though. It wouldn't surprise me if I deleted my page in the next year. It is FREE, yes, but it also takes time. I find time is far from free. Even if it's just a few minutes, it all adds up

Matthew (Turndog Millionaire)

It does come down to content, though it is true that facebook are not automatically pushing any status updates from any source onto all followers. This annoys me on a personal note as there have been occasions where I have missed some vital piece of information from family (like my sister having a baby) but, on the same day, have been subjected to intimate details of trivia from other friends... it is supposed to 'give you the updates you are interested in' but it is entirely random...

Anyway, you do just have to work with it and try to make the best of it. So long as it is free it is a useful resource and can be tied to other social media to make it more useful.

It does come down to content, though it is true that facebook are not automatically pushing any status updates from any source onto all followers

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It's actually always been like that, despite the recent fuss about it. It actually *needs* to be like that to be useful - it would be a disaster if they switched that feature off by default.

Here's an earlier discussion on it: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7335981

Mac

It may have always been like that but the recent changes are more pronounced. It was fine as it was, I was getting most of the information I needed to know and a fair bit I liked to know and some dross. Now it seems to be all dross, no matter how I play with the settings or delete things from my feed. Its been like this for a few years now.

But the direct issue with pages (rather than indidual accounts) does seem to be that pages were set up so that everyone who liked it got updates from your page when posted but now most are not.

There is also another issue which needs to be considered in this. Equating 'likes' to popularity is not necessarily a direct correlation. Especially when you bribe people to like it - i.e. if I get x likes I will... It may not be a major issue but 'paid for' likes are not reliable indicators of how well your message is getting out there - how many like you for the chance to win then unlike you straight away? How many don't bother to unlike but generally ignore your output? Something to think about, anyway.

I don't really think there is a point, personally. It may be 'free promotion' but even 'free' costs you. If the time and energy you spend keeping your Facebook fan page updated doesn't get you anything back in terms of sales--or whatever it is you're hoping to gain by having a fan page--it's still a lousy return on investment. Add to that the sheer aggravation that comes from being on Facebook and you're now into the negative balance. Not worth it to me, which is why I bailed on Facebook entirely a few months ago.

Perks said:

And it's free, so even if only a few people see your posts, you're not out anything but the few seconds it took to type an update.

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Agreed. If you use Facebook already in your personal life, it's an easy matter to switch over to your fan/book page and make an update, check stats, respond to a comment, or whatever. It takes very little time out of my day, it allows me to interact with people who may be interested in the book, and it helps the book show up more often in Google results, too. For instance, when you search for "A Year of Hitchcock," a book I coauthored a few years ago, our Facebook page is among the top results. Our very basic webpage and podcast blog are the top results, but the Facebook page gives us yet another entry on the first page of results. That's a good thing, especially since so many people have launched similar projects since our book was published.

I want to be able to use facebook as my 'page' rather than my personal account, but whenever I do it seems to refuse to link my page to things like Twitter and Wordpress. It's really annoying.

Perhaps you could reach more people by creating events where people usually have to respond (if they are interested they will anyway).

I have a Facebook fan page and a personal page. I've found that yes, people do read it - if they're motivated enough to look for you and comment. I also have one for my fashion blog, and I think that if you have more than 400 likes you're less likely to disappear into the status feed drain than you are with less than that. (I have under 100 on my writer fan page, and thus, disappear more.)

One thing worth noting is that your reach can exceed your "likes" - posts can go "viral" by appearing in the feeds of friends of people who comment or like a post. The other day I posted some photos from my trip to Hampton Court Palace, and it reached about half of my followers and twice as many non-followers.

All of this information has been GREAT!

Another ? to add...I'm currently building my online platform leading up to the release of my new book and I currently have a personal FB page, so I guess I just need to create a "fan" page for me as an author on FB, right? I can do that so it's linked (admin wise) to my personal account.

I know this sounds lame, but then what? It would just be empty. Anybody have any experience on driving traffic to your "fan" FB page without being pushy? Reading around, it seems like I would want my Twitter to link there, if I have a blog...that would link too - anything I'm missing?

csorensen said:

All of this information has been GREAT!

Another ? to add...I'm currently building my online platform leading up to the release of my new book and I currently have a personal FB page, so I guess I just need to create a "fan" page for me as an author on FB, right? I can do that so it's linked (admin wise) to my personal account.

I know this sounds lame, but then what? It would just be empty. Anybody have any experience on driving traffic to your "fan" FB page without being pushy? Reading around, it seems like I would want my Twitter to link there, if I have a blog...that would link too - anything I'm missing?

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Yeah, it's a fine line. I've done this and initially sent out a message/invite for people to "Like" my author page. Those who do, as I understand it, then receive updates I post to my author page. My book's not out yet so it's people I know who've liked me thus far, about 50 I guess. I don't do more than one update every couple of weeks, I think I'm paranoid about bugging people!

Instead of saying 'most who like don't read, why bother?' I would ask 'is this a good place to get readers?' and forget all about "likes". Facebook is a place to put words where people may or may not read them, the rest is noise.

I think if one day I attained a small niche following, I would probably be more proactive on these social networks. I just think that for now if I am going to blab about my work it just makes more sense to do it in target specific reader/writer forums like this one.

Starchaser3000 said:

I think if one day I attained a small niche following, I would probably be more proactive on these social networks. I just think that for now if I am going to blab about my work it just makes more sense to do it in target specific reader/writer forums like this one.

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AW is mostly a writer site. We are not your target audience. We are here to offer support, help if you have a question, ask questions ourselves and learn and grow together.

merrihiatt said:

AW is mostly a writer site. We are not your target audience.

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I disagree with that second sentence

Writers are also readers. I've sold quite a few books just through interacting here with people who otherwise might not have come across my work, or more to the point would have not picked out my book from amongst many others when they saw it in the shops. We're social animals, and we therefore are more likely to buy a book by someone we know, even through a forum, than a complete stranger.

AW is a perfectly legitimate place to include in your online presence, but I've found that the best way to promote yourself here is just to be helpful to other writers. A discreet link or two in your signature is then all the promotion you need.