Okay, if you’re here you’re trying to figure out ways to increase the “likes” on your Facebook Author/Fan Page. By far the best way to up that total is to write a best-seller and become Stephen King famous. Between now and then here are seven tips that will assist you in your quest.
1) Put up a gated-fan page and give away stuff based on the condition that people “like” your page. Some authors give away books and some give away chapters, others give away things like a Kindle Fire. If you’d like to take a peek at this type of page I have one on my Facebook Author Page. At the moment it takes “likers” to the first three chapters of Miracles, Inc. In the near future, it will take “likers” to a sample of my next novel, Black Heart on the Appalachian Trail. I will also run a raffle and give away a few copies and hopefully my “likes” will soar. Shoot, I might even give away an expensive e-reader as the publication date nears.
2) Advertise your Facebook Author/Fan Page on Facebook. I have not tried this technique, know a writer who has and reports success. For what she says is a modest budget, she advertised for a month on Facebook and over 1,000 people “liked” her page.
3) Target pages where readers hang out on Facebook, then become engaged in the conversation. The theory here is the people will become interested in you, investigate, then “like” your page. I’ve spent several months at this and the technique works; however, it is time-consuming and there are more effective ways to increase your “likes.”
4) Join Twitter and request your Followers “like” your Facebook Author/Fan Page. I first tried this approach using a site that sent out a custom automated message whenever someone Followed me. Then, because the message felt too much like spam, I stopped the auto-responses and approached one Follower at a time. This technique works, but it also is not the most effective way to contact people in an effort to increase your “likes.”
5) Become involved on writer forums. I belong to several, including Zoetrope and LinkedIn, and have met many writers who want to network their Facebook Author/Fan Pages. As a matter of fact, LinkedIn has an ongoing thread with thousands of comments, all from writers seeking “likes.”
6) Add a link to your Facebook Author/Fan Page on your personal website.
7) Which brings me to my last tip. One of the most effective uses of your time is seeking out other writers in the same mindset. Until now these writers have been spread out over the Internet, their links buried inside mile-long threads, but that all changed with the birth of Authors Unite on Facebook. This page is new, less than a week old, and it’s simply a list of “like-minded” authors who want to network their pages. Visit, put your link in the comment box, and say hello. I’m the admin and would love hearing from you!
