Tips on Thursday: Facebook

Image via CrunchBase

I read an article recently and it had some interesting numbers on Facebook user engagement. Since Wordpress and Google Friends Connect parted ways many bloggers have created fan pages. Though GFC is still friends with Blogger, I've created a Fan Page on Facebook for Girl Who Reads. Authors have used Facebook as a means to connect with readers for a while (if you aren't you should look into adding it to your social media hangouts). Since it is so widely used and often in ways beyond just keeping in contact with far flung friends and family, I thought I would share the article from Book Marketing Expert with you.
  
The Myth About Being Liked (on Facebook)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These days it seems everyone is after "social proof," that elusive number of Likes or Followers that will make you seem part of the "in crowd." Unfortunately getting someone to like you is only half the battle, you must now get them to stay "in like" with you.

Studies show that the expectation of content does vary by age, but the direction is still the same: it's more than just getting someone to "Like" your page, you now must learn how to keep them. With all the social media options out there it's critical to not just build numbers, but maintain them, too. In order to do this, it's important to know what users want and when they want to see you post new content.

As I pointed out earlier, content expectations vary by age. For example, Facebook users between the ages of 18-26 have the lowest expectations of receiving something in exchange for their "Like" endorsement. When you go up the next rung, ages 27 to 34, they are more likely to expect something solid delivered in a Facebook update. But the users with the highest expectations, and those you are likely serving, is the 35-51 age group. This is also the group most likely to unlike a brand if it fails to meet expectations.

But it's not only about having great content, it's also about creating great engagement. A study done by Roost.com evaluated 10,000 Facebook fans across 50 industries and found that certain posts leverage more engagement than others. Here are some of their findings:

• Photo posts get 50% more impressions than any other type of post
• Quotes get 22 percent more interactions
• Questions generate almost twice as many comments
• Ask questions to spark dialog (questions often see twice as many comments) and consider fill in the blank posts which tend to receive 9 times more comments than other posts

Now you have the content down, and you know about the types of posts that will get more play than others, is there more to posting than just content and post-type? You bet. There are also time-specific posts that often do better than others. Here are some quick tips on how to improve your Facebook Wall posts:

• Posts delivered between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. tend to receive 20% higher user engagement
• Best day for Fan engagement? Wednesday - up by 8%
• How many posts does it take to increase user engagement? If you're thinking more frequent posts you are wrong. Posting one to two times per day produces 71% higher user engagement.
• When it comes to Facebook more is not better, sometimes it's just more. Posting with 80 characters or less receives 66% higher engagement. Very concise posts, between one and 40 characters, generate the highest engagement.

Finally, users do vary. How can you really know if your fans are engaged with your content?

Understanding Facebook Content Interaction

Fan Pages now have a fabulous feature called Facebook Insights. Head on over there for some really interesting information and insightful (hence the name) data.

First, you can find Insights on the left side of your page. Once you're there you can see all sorts of data on the information you post.

1. Reach: This is the number of unique people who have seen the post for 28 days after publishing the post.
2. Engaged Users: These are people who have engaged with your post in some way: i.e. clicked the link.
3. Talking about this: This is an interesting number and you've no doubt seen this pop up right under your "Likes." These actions are: liking the post, commenting, sharing the post, responding to a question, or RSVPing to an event.
4. Virality: This is the number of people who have created a story from your page post.

Watch these numbers for some great insight into what fires up your fans and what leaves them cold.

It's not just about getting "Liked," it's about staying "Liked." Creating insightful, helpful, and engaging content is one piece to the puzzle, the other is timing and receptiveness of your fans. Though I've outlined 'general' user guidelines in this piece, be sure to check the Facebook Insights for key data that will help your fan base thrive!

Quick Ways to Promote your Facebook Fan Page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Put your Fan Page URL in your signature line
* Email your newsletter list
* Add a Facebook Fan widget to your blog and website
* Add your Fan Page URL to your biz cards
* Tweet the link to your followers
* Notify your "Friends" on your personal profile that you now have a Fan Page

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

Related articles

• Improve Your Social Media Marketing with Facebook Insights (blogs.constantcontact.com)
• A guide to the new Facebook Insights for pages: The like is just the beginning (marketing.yell.com)
• 4 Things You Can Learn with Facebook Insights (blogs.constantcontact.com)
• Facebook activity analysed (thebluedoor.com)

Video Blog #3: In my Mailbox & What I'm Reading

In my Mailbox (a weekly meme from The Story Siren)


The Called Ones: And the Keys of Sight by S. B. Scrillum

Have you ever felt called by a Voice in the night? If a voice called to you now, would you follow it?

The children in the town of Henley hear the call when they attend Summer's End Camp for the first time. There are legends about the land the town bulit the camp on; it is said to built atop a cursed, ancient Indian burial ground, some even swear to have seen peopel walk into the lake there, never to return.

Is the Voice that is calling to the children of Henley a sinster force bent on leading them to a cursed, watery death, or is it a trustworthy force meaing only good? Eigther way, thirteen children a in for a surprise when they attend camp and follow the strange Voice that calls to them in the night. The call is only the beginning. From the back cover.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again. From Goodreads.com

 Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana; Translated by A. N. D. Haksar

A gorgeous deluxe edition of the world's most celebrated guide to life, love, relationships and pleasure. 

Little is known about Vatsyayana, who is reputed to have composed the Kama Sutra "while observing a celibate's life in full meditation." In Sanskrit the word "kama" means desire, especially for sensual pleasure, and its proper pursuit was considered an essential part of a young, urbane gentleman's well-rounded education.
Untold numbers of readers are curious about the Kama Sutra but put off by its clichéd image as an erotic Oriental curiosity. This elegant edition offers a compelling modern translation of a classic Indian masterpiece-and a wry and entertaining account of human desire and foibles.From Goodreads.com

 It's Monday! What are you reading? (Weekly meme from Book Journey)


Finished:

 Hoping to finish this week:

 New on my reading list:

 Temptation by Douglas Kennedy

A wonderfully sardonic and nightmarish tale of a Hollywood success story gone wrong, from the bestselling author of State of the Union.

Like all would-be Hollywood screenwriters, David Armitage wants to be rich and famous. But for the past eleven years, he’s tasted nothing but failure. Then, out of nowhere, luck comes his way when one of his scripts is bought for television. Suddenly, he’s the new toast of Hollywood as the creator of a hit series.

A new player in Tinsel Town, David reinvents himself at great speed — notably and especially by walking out on his wife and daughter for a young producer who worships only at the altar of ambition. But David’s upward mobility takes a decidedly strange turn when a billionaire film buff named Philip Fleck barges into his life, proposing a very curious collaboration. David takes the bait, and finds he has inadvertently entered a Faustian Pact, one that results in an express ride to the lower depths of the Hollywood jungle. From the Goodreads.com

J. B. Lynn: Bits of Real Life (a guest post)

I'm once again honored to welcome J. B. Lynn to Girl Who Reads. She is celebrating the release of her second novel, Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman. I LOVED this book (in case you haven't figured it out for yourself). Thank you, J. B., for taking the time to share about one of my favorite characters!
****

Fiction is made up, but I happen to think that every author puts a bit of themselves in their work.

Maybe they use a setting they’re familiar with, or perhaps they base a character on someone they know, or maybe they use some of their own likes/dislikes or quirks to flesh out a character.

For example, my love of animals is put to use in CONFESSIONS OF A SLIGHTLY NEUROTIC HITWOMAN. After Maggie Lee is involved in an auto accident and suffers a head injury, she can suddenly talk to animals.

This sudden “gift” Maggie has received just complicates her life further. Not only is she responsible for the care of her niece’s pet lizard, Godzilla, he happens to be a smarmy, know-it-all, who doesn’t shut up.

Is it time for Wheel of Fortune?

Personally, I’d jump at the chance to figure out what goes on in the heads of my pets.

Why is Senegal Sam the parrot, so enamored of lying on his back in the palm of my hand? It exposes his belly. Why doesn’t he have the instinct to protect himself?

Phoebe and Teddy

Or why does Teddy, my smaller dog, growl like Cujo if you dare to pet him after ten at night? Is he part Gremlin?

And why does Phoebe, the big dog, think she’s a lap dog? Seventy pounds is waaaayyyyyyy too big for a lap dog, but try telling her that!

While my animals provide unconditional love, Godzilla ends up serving as Maggie’s sounding board throughout CONFESSIONS OF A SLIGHTLY NEUROTIC HITWOMAN, often asking her the tough questions or calling her on the very things she’d rather forget about.

Yet another animal (its identity would be a spoiler, so I can’t reveal who) ends up being a major player in the climax of the book.

Needless to say, animals are important to me…both the ones who keep me company in real life and those who play in my imagination.

If you could talk to any animal, living or dead, real or imagined, who would it be? And what would you ask them?

If you haven't picked up a copy of Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman, WHY NOT? Seriously, you need to read it. Get your copy at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Anole photo credit: Clicksy via photopin cc
Dogs photo credit: J. B. Lynn via http://jblynn.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/my-favorite-readers/

Related articles

• Now available: Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman (girl-who-reads.com)
• Phenomenal: Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman (girl-who-reads.com)
• PSA: Anoles as Pets (girl-who-reads.com)
• Review: Confessions of a Neurotic Hitwoman by JB Lynn (bookdout.wordpress.com)
• Tips on Thursday: Netgalley (girl-who-reads.com)

Tips on Thursday: Cross Promotion

Here we are again. It's Thursday and I'm sharing a tip that will benefit both book bloggers and authors. Today's topic is CROSS PROMOTION. We all know about networking and the benefits of promoting each other, but what about reaching out to other audiences? Surely there are readers who enjoy more than just books? Cross promotion increases your audience by reaching beyond your particular niche. Since cross promotion works much like promoting within your network, I'm going to share a couple of examples to get you thinking.

Example 1 - Book trailer music

Michele Richard, author of Mocked by series, paired up with a musician to have a song created for her Mocked by Faith trailer. By working with a musician she was able to tap into that fan base. The musician was able to benefit by being exposed to Michele's fan base.

 

If you are a non-fiction writer there are many cross promotion opportunities, but even book bloggers and fiction authors can cross promote. Did you review a cookbook? Find bloggers who talk about cooking, home, family, etc. to see if they will mention your review. I often read books with a science/biotech element to the blot, so a blog that talks about advancements in science might be interested in my review. Fiction writers need to connect the non-fiction portions of their books to bloggers or media that feature that topic. For example, paranormal authors may find an audience with ghost hunters or paranormal activity radio shows.

Example 2 - Support other creative people

I'm working with a ballet dancer, Tiffany, who has been accepted to the International Dance Competition in Cape Town, South Africa. Just the travel arrangements alone are expensive, not to mention the outfits, pointe shoes, coaching, studio time, etc expenses that will be incurred in preparation for the competition. 

As a dancer, Tiffany faces many of the same challenges authors face. How do you promote yourself and your craft? Tiffany shared her thoughts on promoting in the creative arts:

The creative arts are typically non-profit organizations that depend on donations from outside sources. In order to generate interest and get ones name out there they have to come up with ways to let the community know they are there. All of that costs money, but there are a few free alternatives which may only cost time; such as reserving a booth at the local farmers market to pass out flyers, hosting a car wash or putting on a free performance.

As an individual working to raise money, one has to go about things a little differently. Putting ones name out there is never an easy thing and much less your face, but people respond better to something they can visually see, touch and feel. One can still put on a performance, but they have to think of all the time and effort going into that and whether or not they can generate enough revenue in the allotted time they have. This is why I have chosen to sell ballet calendars instead. Just like with a performance, my face is all over it and people can tell from the photos the quality of what I'm selling (which is my dancing). Knowing they are getting something out of donating money for the calendar means they are more susceptible to donate; knowing that it's something legit means they won't hesitate to do so.

So now my job is just to do my best and try to bring them home something to make them proud :-)

Tiffany also happens to be an avid reader and has a lot of reading friends. An author she adores offered to donate a signed book to help her raise funds. Tiffany started to talk to another blogger, Tamie at Bookish Temptations and me to see if we knew of other authors willing to donate for an auction and help with promotion. I did an interview with Tiffany a year or so ago for a different blog and even a year later the interview still received 10 -15 page views per week just because people google her. Any author willing to donate a book or other swag to the auction is sure to be seen by a multitude of readers.

The Dare to Dream auction will be Friday, January 27 -  Monday, February 6. If you are an author who would like to donate or a blogger who would like to host Tiffany (she's offering guest posts, interviews, and possibly a video diary entry to bloggers), please let me know. Click on the video photo above to learn more about Tiffany, the auction, and her journey to Cape Town.

Here's who's participating in the auction:

Michelle Birbeck: Signed short story with bookmark

E.van Lowe: Signed copy of Boyfriend From Hell

Amy Lichtenhan: Signed copy of Pulled with bookmark

Killian McRae: Paperback

Debra Anastasia: Signed copy of PoughKeepsie

M.A.Stacie: 2 ebooks: Unwritten Rules & Accidental Fate

Sylvain Reynard: Signed copy of Gabriel's inferno and a signed copy of the sequel upon it's release.

E.L.James: Signed copy of Fifty Shades

Jeaniene Frost: Copy of Half Way to the Grave

PSA: Anoles as Pets

Some of you might not be aware that I have a degree in Biology and spent a few years working on a Ph. D. in ecology. My focus was environmental policy. If anyone is interested in publishing a book on Florida panther recovery, let me know :) This might explain why I enjoy books that have a science element to them. But I also shy away from books with animals. There's two main reasons: 1. They are usually sad or 2. the animal is so cute everyone wants one regardless if it makes a good pet or not (I spent many childhood years wanting a monkey).

I have spent the last few weeks talking about a great book, which released yesterday: Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman by J. B. Lynn. One of my favorite characters is Godzilla who prefers to be called God. So here is my official PSA should you decide you now want your own God.

Who is God?

Godzilla is not to be mistaken for a gecko. Due to a popular insurance commercial many people now believe all small green lizards are geckos.  Though geckos are not native to the U.S., they are plentiful in Florida and parts of the southeastern US. However, the green lizards we see are more likely the green anole (Anolis carolinensis).

The top photo is a gecko, the middle photo the green anole, and the bottom is the brown anole. I've included the brown anole (Anolis sagrei) because, though native to Cuba and Bahamas, it's been introduced to the U.S. (Florida, southern Georgia, Texas and southern California) and Godzilla is a brown anole. (Thanks J. B. for confirming this for me!).

Anole Husbandry:
(did I mention I worked for 15 months as a zookeeper? Husbandry is a fancy word for animal care)

Anoles eat LIVE insects (a lesson Maggie had to learn) and other small invertebrates. Most commonly they eat crickets, moths, and spiders. But they are also opportunistic feeders, if the meal is small enough they attempt to consume it. Captive adult anoles need to be fed 3 - 4 times a week.

Humidity is extremely important. Like other reptiles, anoles shed their skin. If humidity is too low the skin will not properly molt. The facial skin can build up impairing the anole's ability to fed and it will starve to death. In addition to providing a shallow water dish, the enclosure should be misted daily.

A 10 gallon terrarium is recommended, remember to have a mesh lid to provide ventilation but prevent escape. Typical life span is 4 - 8 years for wild anoles. A well cared for captive anole may live longer (up to 14 years).

Fun Facts About Anoles:

You shouldn't handle your anole and particularly do NOT pick it up by the tail. The primary defense mechanism of an anole is the ability to detach their tail. The tail will continue to wiggle to distract the predator.

Anoles are diurnal (they are active during the day).

They can grow up to 7 inches in length.

The green or Carolina anole is the only native U. S. anole and for the most part the brown or Cuban anole has pushed it to the northern regions of its range. There are some instances of overlapping habitat, but they segregate themselves - brown anoles stay on bottom branches while the green anole resides on higher branches.

All but the brown anole can change in color from bright green to dull brown. The brown anole only varies its shade of brown (shocking I know).

Find out why anoles will be the next pet craze by picking up your copy of Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Credit:
Thank you to Wikipedia and Reptiles Realm for the information on anoles.

Photos (in order of appearance):
Tambako the Jaguar via photopin cc
Vicki's Nature via photopin cc
J. Star via photopin cc
Ennor via photopin cc
Ezra S F via photopin cc

Now available: Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman

I feel like I've been talking about this book forever, but in reality it's only been about a month, but TODAY you can get your copy of what I'm sure will be a Best of 2012 book: Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman by J. B. Lynn. It's available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I know it is only in ebook right now, but at $3.99 it is well worth reading it on your smart phone or computer if you don't have an ereader. It'll be available in paperback in February, but you really don't want to wait that long (it truly is that great of a read!).


Summary:

Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman by J. B. Lynn

Maggie Lee is not your average hitwoman. For one thing, she’s never killed anyone. For another, after hitting her head in the car accident that killed her sister, her new best friend is a talking lizard—a picky eater, obsessed with Wheel of Fortune, that only Maggie can hear.
Maggie, who can barely take care of herself, is desperate to help her injured and orphaned niece get the best medical care possible, so she reluctantly accepts a mobster’s lucrative job offer: major cash to kill his monstrous son-in-law.
Paired with Patrick Mulligan, a charming murder mentor (who happens to moonlight as a police detective), Maggie stumbles down her new career path, contending with self-doubt, three meddling aunts, a semi-psychic friend predicting her doom, and a day job she hates. Oh, and let’s not forget about Paul Kowalski, the sexy beat cop who could throw her ass in jail if he finds out what she’s up to.
Training has never been so complicated! And, this time, Maggie has to get the job done. Because if she doesn’t … she’s the mob’s next target. From Goodreads.com

Excerpt: 
I was sitting a Katie's bedside singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider", manipulating her lifeless fingers so that she'd mimic the pantomime of the song, when the man who would become my boss strolled in. I knew who he was instantly. Anyone who reads the newspaper or watches the local news would. Read full excerpt here. 

You can also read the first chapter of Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman at Scribd.

Reviews:

My 5 STAR review 
A Chick Who Reads 5 STAR review
Modokker Book Picks 5 STAR review

Are you convinced yet?
If you need a little more encouragement to pick up Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman, J. B. Lynn will be on tour (a blog tour) this week. Check her website for the details. She makes a stop here on Friday.  

Related articles

• Review: Confessions of a Neurotic Hitwoman by JB Lynn (bookdout.wordpress.com)
• J. B. Lynn: Bits of Real Life (a guest post) (girl-who-reads.com)
• Phenomenal: Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman (girl-who-reads.com)