We are back. Happy New Year everyone. We hope you are all having an epic start to 2016. Today we are going to be sharing our knowledge of book groups on Facebook. How they work and the most effective way for all your posts to be seen.
Let’s start with the privacy settings of a group.
Secret Group: Nobody can see this group, it won’t come up when doing a search, it can not be seen at all unless you are a member of this specific Group, this means any posts made in this group can only be seen and liked or commented on by members in that group. Most secret groups are used for street teams or review teams maybe a fan group. If you are in a Secret Group in order to promote books just remember that only the members in that group can see your post. Choose what book groups are best to post in so you get maximum exposure.
Closed Group: Anyone can find this group and request to join but only members can see the posts in a closed group. Depending on your content these groups can be an ideal way to promote your books. We would say nearly all book groups request no nudity and obviously respect towards other members. Some of the posts in a closed group can be shared. What we have learned is that if you post a text with link in a closed group that post can be shared but if you post a graphic with your text and link you can only like and comment on that post, there is no option to share.
Public Group: Anyone can find this group and request to join but you don’t have to be a member to like or share. All posts shared in a public group can be seen by all. If you wish to comment on a post in a public group you must request to join. These groups are great for exposure but you must remember what you are sharing can be seen by all and we all know there is an awful lot of haters out there so be careful on your content an images that you post. The last thing you want is to be reported.
No matter which group you post in, you can still be blocked for spamming. Facebook has a million and one rules that even us are still learning along the way. Things we might have done a few year ago are no longer allowed so let’s see how we can make things better.
If you are either an Author or you work Promoting someone’s book, select around twenty groups to post in, you can change this up daily to create the best exposure. When posting go slow, we realise that many people have copy and paste posts ready because well it saves extremely a lot of time and makes things easier, BUT Facebook picks up on your fast finger so when going to your selected group, create your post, hit publish and maybe take a few seconds to check out other posts, randomly like one, you may even see a post that looks interesting or maybe you can grab yourself a bargain book or find your next book boyfriend, then move on to your next group. It may put an extra few minutes on your busy work day but this is better than being blocked in which ever way Facebook decides to punish you. Even in a Secret Group this can happen. Do not be fooled.
Jo- I was put in Facebook jail for ONE WHOLE MONTH!
Isa- Yes and we all knew about it my dear muppet
Jo- Hey donkey, I was traumatised. I’m telling you it is not fun being stuck in jail and for ONE WHOLE MONTH let’s not forget.
Isa– Yes, I did find that harsh but you did find away around it LOL!! There is two of you now, or is it three, that movie multiplicity comes to mind!
Jo- True but I am not going back. NO WAY!! I have done my time, I am a free blogger haha!!
Isa- Do you need to report to a parol officer??? Loool
CHECKING GROUP RULES:
Almost all groups will state the fact that no nudity or porn is allowed to be posted. We should all remember some bloggers or Author’s created these groups to help others get seen and those groups can be removed from Facebook just as easy as blocking you. If you do not like a group you are in simply remove yourself, unfollow etc. Please do not report something because you don’t like it, if there is a real issue find out who the admins are and let them know of your concerns.
Unless you know about the group or you just recently joined, please check their rules which are usually in the group info or a pin post. Certain groups only allow Romance books, others can be for the LGBT community. We would say if you are unsure then definitely double check. Some groups may be for Authors only or for Bloggers only, mistakes can be made as we all know but not everyone is nice about a genuine mistake and it can be quite mortifying, not everyone has thick skin, so we suggest that you try and avoid any embarrassment by taking a few seconds to check the groups rules.
BLOGGERS and AUTHOR PAGES
Did you know by signing into your page you can seek out these groups and like/share the posts in the public groups. It’s an extra way to promote without being blocked for spamming. If you have already shared that day in a number of groups use other accounts. You can’t join any groups from your blog or Author pages unless they are personal, but all you need is the share button, right?
So are Book Groups effective? Well of course they are, some of these groups have thousands of members. Don’t even dismiss the smaller groups because it just takes one person to take an interest in your post and BAM all their friends are hearing about it. The more popular posts tend stay near the top of a group thread so if you post and someone likes your post and even comments that will help your post from being lost in the hundreds that will post or have posted that day.
STREET TEAM ADVICE
Why not divide up some groups amongst your team. No matter how big or small your team. One post can be made in your ST and then see which members would like to volunteer to post in groups. There is literally hundreds of Book Groups on Facebook so by dividing up these to maybe around ten per person you will be seen somewhere for sure and no one will be blocked for spamming. (Remember check the group info or pin post)
We have two Groups on Facebook.
Jo&isalovebooks Group. You can request to join this group and share anything book related. Our rules are simple, NO NUDITY, NO PORN, BE RESPECTFUL. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1411560179085806/
Love Has No Gender Group. You can request to join and share anything LGBT Book related, same rules apply as above. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1650215495209944/
Divine Magazine has a group. You can also request to join and because it’s a magazine that supports the LGBTQ, you can literally share ANYTHING LGBTQ related. Books, Music, News, Pages, entertainment and so on. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1942213349337217/
Little plugged there for you Divine. Wink, Wink!!
We hope you have found today’s post helpful and enjoyable.
Until next time ‘Enter the World of Make Believe and Read.
Jo & Isa