Facebook and similar marketing for authors and publishers

The advice on Facebook so far is great, but I wanted to add some more.

I'm a professional social media manager (and mobile marketing
consultant). I took the training in order to get the skills to promote
my books online, though I also help others with it as a "day job."

One should definitely get a custom URL for a Facebook page (after 25
followers - go to http://www.facebook.com/username), but be sure not to stop there.

Other things you can do:

Make a custom tab for your Facebook page. This custom tab will appear
the FIRST time someone comes to your page. Use this tab to give
information about yourself and your books, and if you have an e-mail
list, ask them to sign up for it. You can see this on my custom Facebook
page:

http://www.facebook.com/ftlpublications

Or my social media manager page:

http://www.facebook.com/socialmediajmv

Or even my weight loss book page:

http://www.facebook.com/JMVWeightLossCoach

(After the first time, people will go to your wall.)

Be sure to post photos of your covers and be sure to post book
promotional videos if you have them to your Facebook page as well.

You can also make additional custom tabs for a Facebook page. You can
link your Facebook page to Twitter, your blog, and your You Tube page.
To see an example, check the left side of my wall on my social media page:

http://www.facebook.com/socialmediajmv

Another thing you'll want to do is to display your Facebook page and
Twitter page LIVE on your WordPress site/blog. Check out my WordPress
page to see an example:

http://www.socialmediajmv.com

Or try my weight loss book page:

http://www.personalweightlosstrainer.com

In addition to a WordPress site, a nice thing to have nowadays is a
mobile optimized site (which looks funny on a regular computer screen
but great on a smartphone screen). There's an example on my page:

http://www.ftlpublications.mobi/countdown-mobi.htm

I'm also thinking of adding a QR code to my books in addition to the EAN
bar code. QR codes can have all sorts of uses. They can direct someone
to a web site, or have text on them. (I've been told someone loaded an
entire ebook on a QR code, but frankly, I'd have to see THAT to believe
it!) Nonetheless QR codes can be very useful. They're read by a cell
phone which has a QR code app. To see a QR code, go to my web page at
http://www.socialmediajmv.com and scroll down until you see it. (This QR
code will link to my Facebook Social Media page).

There are a LOT of promotional opportunities out there for authors and
publishers on social media and mobile marketing platforms. Be sure to
take advantage of them!

*****************************
Joan Marie Verba
FTL Publications
http://www.ftlpublications.com
http://www.socialmediajmv.com