Well, the time has
come, my friends. Facebook is ratcheting
up their revenue model. Now, they hope to make a few billion
dollars on "boosted" posts as well. What does that mean?
Some of you (I hope
most of you) have seen my Facebook ads. I buy one whenever I have a
new book released. I find it introduces the books to new readers and
reminds current readers that there's more Patricia Green to enjoy.
"Boosted" Facebook posts, on the other hand, are regular
professional page Facebook posts that an author wants to particularly
emphasize. Currently, 10% or fewer of my author page "likers"
actually see my posts. That's another tricky bit of Facebook wisdom.
So if I want more people to see my posts, I have to buy boosts. A
boost delivers my post to more of my fans and their friends as well.
So I actually do
get my posts out to the people who've liked my page, so long as I'm
willing to pay $10 to do it. For every post. Which, for me, adds up
to $10 per day, or $3650 per year. How do you like them apples?
Do you think I can
afford $3650 per year plus
regular ads that cost a few hundred dollars a piece? If money grew on
trees…
Now, don't get me
wrong. I'm aware that I've been riding on the Facebook
gravy train for the time I've had my author page. It's been free
marketing and I'm grateful for what I got. Furthermore, Facebook is
not a charity; they have to make a profit or their shareholders get
ticked off, and with good reason. When one buys stock in a company,
one expects the stock to go up in value, otherwise, why invest? I
don't think Facebook is greedy or underhanded. They're doing what any
good business ought to do. It's just too bad that struggling artists
like me are going to be the ones taking the biggest hit.
My problem is: how
do I reach my fans and new readers? It's a fact of life that without
readers, I'm out of business. So here's what I would ask of you (you
knew there'd be a request in her somewhere, I'm sure), sign up for
subscriptions to your favorite authors’ blogs. Mine
is here. Most authors will include posts with excerpts, blog
hops, prizes, new release notices, articles about relevant things
that they hope will inspire you to greatness whether you're an author
or a grocery clerk or something else. Occasionally blogs have guests.
Virtually always, you can unsubscribe at any time. Tell a friend as
well, especially people who have been using Facebook to reach authors
like me.
That's my new model
and the model to which most authors will migrate. I'll be beating
that drum for a while over on Facebook, to try to get folks to sign
up with blogs instead of relying on Facebook to deliver the goods. I
don’t know how many authors will be eliminating their Facebook
pages, but, as Facebook works toward a total ad revenue model, they
will be reaching fewer and fewer of you there. I'll be missing you
and, if I've done my job right thus far, you might miss me, too. So
sign up, tell your friends and I'll tell mine. Let's work with what
we've got rather than kvetching about what we can't have.
Wish me luck!
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