Getting Noticed on Goodreads, Facebook, and Google+

This weekend I delivered a workshop on book marketing that covered changes happening in the industry and gave some tips about building a platform and launching a book. It was a great event, but my big regret is that we had some difficulty with the Internet – so much so that I could only talk about some top tips on using the social network sites.

I did want to take a minute and share one of the easiest ways to get noticed on a social networking site like Goodreads, Facebook, and Google+ All you have to do is…

Use Groups

I know this sounds too easy.  I continually find authors that don’t do this or haven’t thought about groups at all.  Facebook, Google+, and Goodreads all have plenty of groups where you can find potential readers 🙂  Let me demonstrate with Goodreads:

1. Click on the groups category at the top of the page:

2. Type in the category or interest – you’ll be surprised at how many groups there are!

In this example, I’m searching for paranormal ya groups

3. Pick out ones that interest you – ideally, they will have more than 1000 members.  The reason we want larger groups is that we want to be communicating to a good number of people.  At first, start with 5 or 6 groups (it’s easy to add more later if you have the availability).  If you do too many, your presence in the groups will be diluted (less people will know who you are if you’re all over the map).

Next…Posting in the groups

1. ALWAYS obey the rules of the group.  If they say no self promotion, don’t post anything about your blog or about your book(s).  I’ve seen groups that allow promo only on certain days, only in certain categories, or certain topics.   There are also plenty that let you promote away – so check the rules first!
2. Share and interact! It’s a social network, so be social!  Respond to posts and “be a real person” in the group.  You don’t (and should not) have to mention that you’re an author or that you have a book(s).  Respond to questions and discussion about what you’re reading and provide relevant responses
3. Start your own topics.   Try to start your own topic in the group at least once a week.  Topics can be anything that is relevant to the group.  For example, you could do a topic on favorite hero/covers/villain, etc or ask what the funniest moment in a book was.  The goal is to create interaction!

Results over time

Just like building a platform, at first, you probably won’t notice a difference or may just get a handful of people adding you as a friend on Goodreads/Facebook/Google+.  Over time, this will change!

If you post in a group regularly, you’ll notice that in 1 to 2 months many people will have looked at your author page in goodreads.  After a year – almost EVERY ACTIVE PERSON in the group will have looked at your page!

Think about how powerful this is!  In building it as a platform, it drives people to your page, lets people know you and builds you platform with real, targeted people that like the kind of books you write.

Note: You can only use Facebook groups as a personal profile (not a business page).