I--as well as my parents--have been debating on whether or not I should get Facebook. The only reason I want to get it--or maybe I don't; I'm not sure yet.--would be to promote my blog. I think this could be the next big step in my writing career. I could reach out to so many people at once. It seems like a no-brainer, right?
Wrong.
My parents and I spent 2-3 hours in the car talking about this. We debated and talked and debated some more, but all we did was confuse ourselves even further. What should we do about this?
Here are some pros to getting Facebook:
1. I could promote my blog.
2. I could reach out to so many people ate once.
3. I could build a bigger and better community.
4. I could meet new people through Facebook.
Now for the cons:
1. Anybody can go on and comment whatever they want on my page (though this could happen on my blog, too).
2. People might comment on Facebook rather than my blog.
3. I might not reach the audience I want (such as random teenagers who have all the time in the world to post cat memes).
4. It could be a huge time suck for me.
5. My posts might get buried so nobody sees them.
As you can see, I'm stuck. Should I get Facebook or not? Will people even find my page? Am I just going to waste my time?
What do you think I should do? If you have any ideas/input, please speak up! I value your opinions.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Facebook?
I am 21-year-old author, actress, daydreamer, voracious reader, introvert, klutz, fangirl, and overuser of tape. I love the impossible (which might explain my obsessions with YA novels) but I dip into the real world . . . occasionally. I’m a big fan of dogs, Broadway musicals, and bittersweet endings. When I'm not hunched over a laptop writing a new story, you can find me onstage in whatever theatrical production I've allowed to take over my life. I am a contributor to the “Fauxpocalypse” anthology and the author of “Instructions for Flight” and “Ghost Light,” both collections of poetry. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @KateIFoley.
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15 comments:
I can totally see how it could be great and how it could be not so great. I'm not a huge Facebook fan, but I can't deny that it could be a great asset to you and your networking. There are so many great writing resources on there. There are so many pros and cons. Ugh.
As you know, you are totally free to do whatever you want - I love that you're thinking this through and making your own decision. I'm sure you'll make the best decision for yourself. You're wise and thoughtful and awesome that way. :)
I suggest maybe setting yourself a demo time. As in, try Facebook for a month, and if you find that it has increased your audience and help you connect, then by all means, keep on! But if not, than you could just drop the idea.
I'm hoping I'll get some good ideas from this. ;P I'm very confused.
Oooh, that's a good idea! :D Thanks, Karoline!
Like I said during our conversation, you have to really assess where you think your career needs to move at this point and whether or not Facebook is the best tool to help. It's definitely inexact science, but at least there is a method to the madness.
I echo Mommy--you are wise and logical and make great decisions for yourself so why would this be any different?
Thanks! :D This could go either way, so I'm leaning towards Karonline's idea. I'm going to wait and see if anyone else has anything to say.
I have a Facebook fan page for my blog (in addition to my personal profile), but I've found I still get more hits through my blog's regular subscribers and general web searches rather than Facebook. Most of the people who are my fans on FB or who read and comment on my posts are people who are already friends with my personal profile.
Have you considered Twitter? It's a totally different ballgame from Facebook (although it can easily become a time suck, just like FB). Personally, I've had a lot better success with reaching new readers and networking with new people using Twitter rather than Facebook.
I haven't much, but mainly because Twitter always seemed more . . . gimmicky? Annoying? Something about it bugs me, but maybe it's just because of the constant tweets that pop up at the bottom of the TV screen.
Thanks for the advice! :D
I have FB (not for writing, though) and I thought it would be cool, but honestly I don't find it that interesting now. Maybe it would help you network, but I wouldn't rely on it totally. Blogging is a better way to network. :)
Oh, I already MUCH prefer blogging just from what I've heard/seen about Facebook. ;P It actually sounds kind of annoying.
Maybe I just need to be patient and let my community grow naturally. ;)
I'd say no to FB. I have a FB page, but it is very restricted--this would not work for you in terms of networking, though. Also, I'm told by many young people that FB is not the place to be anymore.
P.S. I hear Instagram is quite popular, but I don't know very much about it.
I've heard that, too. ;P I think Facebook might be going downhill. I wonder if Google+ is going to be the next social media craze.
I gave up on facebook. I found that in most cases, the less I knew about people, the more I liked them. So not reading their FB posts has helped me get back to the bliss of ignorance.
I don't have a page for my personal blog, but we do have a page for TBC and I think it's been a really good thing!
I originally started on FB for the purpose of connecting to the publishing industry. What I've found is that there is very little opportunity to interact with anyone important in the industry. For a long time my FB was cluttered with people just like myself and honestly it wasn't very helpful. I got serious about blogging consistently for myself about two weeks ago and already have more readers than I have friends on FB.
I also have been promoting my blog through Twitter and have been getting a decent amount of traffic from there. You really should check it out - the little posts are so short you can literally add hundreds of "followers" but just scan through the names daily to read the ones you care about, and forget the rest (remember, you're just using it to draw people to your blog, or find other blogs to connect with). It's far less intrusive than FB and there are no stupid cat memes and people whining about their manicures or whatever.
Ha! Just realized I was logged in under Christie's account.
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