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Friday, July 24, 2015

HOW TO ROCK A FACEBOOK PARTY


 
Since many of the NYUS crew are currently having a ball at the Romance Writers of America’s conference in NYC, I thought a party theme topic would be in order [plus it’s Friday!].

Last weekend I attended a workshop by author Marcia King-Gamble, http://www.lovemarcia.com , on planning a successful Facebook event, and she graciously granted me permission to recap a few tips.  She’s hosted a number of Facebook extravaganzas, including those with international scope.
For those wanting a visual aid, check out this link for step by step instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufERYmdUD4g

Otherwise, click on ‘events’ on your home page and then ‘create events’. Give the event a name such as “Launch Party for ‘title of your latest release’”. Then describe the event, where it will be held [which FB page]. When it comes to the date and time, consider the audience you’re trying to attract. Good times are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-10 p.m.
If you’re solo hosting, a good length is one to two hours. However, consider hosting with other authors. The point is to reach new readers, right? Joining forces to invite FB friends/fans is certainly a good step toward that goal. If it is a group event, then more time is in order.

Make sure to select ‘public’ for the level of privacy and invite ‘friends of guests’. As you create the invite, use a great visual where it says ‘Add Photo.’ The invite should be issued two weeks before the event.  

If it’s a group party, have everyone donate a prize.  Popular prizes are Amazon/Starbucks/e-gift cards. Theme the party and collect images to upload throughout the event to keep it interactive.
Create buzz by promoting on FB and Twitter. Post pics of the giveaways, guests, etc. However, don’t overdo your reminders. Consider sending out three reminders prior to the big day.

On the day of the party, remind guests to click on the ‘join’ button to attend. Try to be on line at least ten minutes so you can start engaging early guests. Have short blurbs about the book[s] and images ready to be uploaded. Be sure to tell guests where to find the book. Give prizes throughout to build excitement.
Most of all, relax and enjoy yourself. Be gracious and thank everyone for attending! Now, who has tips on FB parties they would care to share?

Carol Stephenson


P.S. Again, please check out my friend Marcia King-Gamble at Marcia King-Gamble Facebook
 

 


***These notes are my own recollection/interpretation of the presentation and any errors are mine.**

 

HOW TO ROCK A FACEBOOK PARTY


Since many of the NYUS crew are currently having a ball at the Romance Writers of America’s conference in NYC, I thought a party theme topic would be in order [plus it’s Friday!].

Last weekend I attended a workshop by author Marcia King-Gamble, http://www.lovemarcia.com , on planning a successful Facebook event, and she graciously granted me permission to recap a few tips.  She’s hosted a number of Facebook extravaganzas, including those with international scope.

For those wanting a visual aid, check out this link for step by step instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufERYmdUD4g

Otherwise, click on ‘events’ on your home page and then ‘create events’. Give the event a name such as “Launch Party for ‘title of your latest release’”. Then describe the event, where it will be held [which FB page]. When it comes to the date and time, consider the audience you’re trying to attract. Good times are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-10 p.m.

If you’re solo hosting, a good length is one to two hours. However, consider hosting with other authors. The point is to reach new readers, right? Joining forces to invite FB friends/fans is certainly a good step toward that goal. If it is a group event, then more time is in order.

Make sure to select ‘public’ for the level of privacy and invite ‘friends of guests’. As you create the invite, use a great visual where it says ‘Add Photo.’ The invite should be issued two weeks before the event.  

If it’s a group party, have everyone donate a prize.  Popular prizes are Amazon/Starbucks/e-gift cards. Theme the party and collect images to upload throughout the event to keep it interactive.

Create buzz by promoting on FB and Twitter. Post pics of the giveaways, guests, etc. However, don’t overdo it. Consider sending out three reminders prior to the big day.

On the day of the party, remind guests to click on the ‘join’ button to attend. Try to be on line at least ten minutes so you can start engaging early guests. Have short blurbs about the book[s] and images ready to be uploaded. Be sure to tell guests where to find the book. Give prizes throughout to build excitement.

 Most of all, relax and enjoy yourself. Be gracious and thank everyone for attending! Now, who has tips on FB parties they would care to share?

Carol Stephenson


P.S. Again, please check out my friend Marcia King-Gamble at Marcia King-Gamble Facebook

 


***These notes are my own recollection/interpretation of the presentation and any errors are mine.**

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

6 comments:

Marcelle Dubé said...

Great pointers, Carol. Thanks!

jean harrington said...

Carol, I'm in awe of anyone who does a launch party, though you've broken the steps down into chewable bites. (Mixed metaphor there!) Thanks for showing me the way to go.

Anne Marie Becker said...

Great info, Carol - maybe we should repost it sometime as an I SPY post. ;) Thanks for sharing!

Nancy J. Cohen said...

I've teamed up with author Maggie Toussaint, and we have been doing these FB parties for a while. Check out our page here: https://www.facebook.com/NewReleaseParty Usually we write our posts and schedule them ahead of time on the page. We relate the posts to the theme of the launch. For example, Thursday night I did a launch party for my latest video trailer. So my questions to readers were movie related. Don't forget to invite people to Like the page if you create a separate site on FB.

jean harrington said...

Nancy, I've known for some time that you're gifted at PR. This posting is just more proof!

Rita said...

Carol! I just realized I didn't say thank you for this great post. It is a big help to me.

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