I told my friend Mary how confused I was about the new Facebook and how I knew I had to create a fan page especially since I assigned it as homework in my 30 Days to a Book Launch series. She got so mad at me, she wrote me this letter!
Dear Katie,
I’m skipping the opening pleasantries, so excuse my rude letter-writing, this is just too urgent. Katie – you have GOT to get a Facebook page already!
It’s no disrespect to your mom, but when I want to see pictures from your latest book tour I don’t like having to filter through your family vacation pictures. I mean, geez, do you really want 1,000 people looking at photos of your kids in inner tubes? How many of those people do you even know?
Frankly, Katie, and I don’t want to hurt your feelings here, but I bet the majority of those people aren’t your friends – they’re your fans. There’s a big difference between the two, and Facebook knows that. That’s why they created Facebook Pages.
You can keep the friends and family that you want for your Personal Page, and they can still see those crazy photos someone put up of your high school graduation (you should tighten up the security on that page, by the way). But for everyone else, who only know you as Katie Davis, Children’s Book Writer, there’s your Business Page. I know it sounds sort of icky, but you, Katie Davis, are a brand, and it’s time you started acting like it. At
least on Facebook.
And besides the whole privacy thing, and the not having to worry anymore about everyone seeing you tagged in weird pictures, Facebook Pages are just better. They show up higher in search engines, and you can collect an unlimited number of fans (personal profile friends cap at 5,000).
It’s also easier to “Like” a page than it is to “Friend” a profile – just a click of the button for them, and you don’t have to respond. It’s less commitment for everyone, and more payoff for you. When someone “Likes” you, you show up in the info on his or her personal profile, and anyone interested can click and “Like” you too. When they “Friend” you, you go in a long list of friends on the sidebar of his or her personal profile – and do you honestly think that people are combing through that looking for famous children’s book authors to be friends with?
And listen, Katie, once you have a page there are so many cool things you can do! Pages have no newsfeeds – no more constant updates about so-and-so’s new couch, and blah-blah’s vacation to Cleveland. You’re free to create cool content for your fresh new page, without interruptions. You can add a sign-up for your email newsletter, as easy as this.
You can also super-customize your website with facebook apps. You can put like buttons, comment boxes, activity feeds … the list goes on, and here it is.
Have I convinced you yet? Oh, grrr, this is too frustrating. I’ve got your password – I’m going to do it myself! I love this part of Facebook – structure, code, streamlining, the whole nine yards. And the content? Well, that’s up to you. The great thing about Facebook Pages is that the updating is exactly as easy as it was before. Hope you like your new page!
Yours affectionately (if irritably),
Mary
PS Now you can act like Sally Field and have people like you. Really like you, right here!
Loreen Leedy
March 31, 2011 - 3:13 pm ·I agree with the theory that authors should have separate FB fan pages, which I do. But I get many requests to friend bookish people that I don’t know, and generally do. Would it be better to not friend them but ask them to like my page? Seems awkward, also what would one do with the ones already friended? You could post links from Author page and try to get them to come over, maybe. It’s kind of tricky. I think leaving it up to them is the way to do it, it doesn’t bother me if they look at my personal page.
The other comment is that my author page does have a news feed from the pages I’ve liked as “my page.” In other words, I’ve liked someone’s page while “being” my page, not me. Which seems odd, but that’s how it works.
katie
April 1, 2011 - 10:13 am ·From Mary: You can allow whoever you want to friend you, but if you are concerned with privacy or looking unprofessional you should guide people to your business site. The business site is also unlimited with the amount of people who can like you, where a friend account cuts you at 5,000. I would advise current facebook friends to become your fans as well, but obviously don’t push it. The longer you wait before you get a business page, the more awkward the transition is.
The Facebook Pages system is still sort of new, and there are some specifics that still need to be worked out. The “liked” pages showing up in your newsfeed is one such. Facebook is tweaking the system and introducing changes everyday. To keep on top of it, I would suggest checking in every once in a while with allfacebook.com, a really handy facebook blog.
Loreen Leedy
April 1, 2011 - 2:52 pm ·Thanks for the response, Mary. Another point is that many people like to know a little personal info, makes us all seem more accessible. It probably depends on how revealing one’s personal Facebook page is… mine has nothing questionable on it, generally!