This post starts a new series: “Clever Internetizens” — it will be a series of interviews with people on the web who have a great web presence. They utilize their websites and social media effectively across a variety of disciplines. Today I’m talking with author & librarian, Sara Ryan (http://sararyan.com). Sara has written two novels, Empress of the World and The Rules for Hearts, and a bunch of comics including the series Flytrap. She’s currently working on a graphic novel for DC Vertigo called Bad Houses.

I was in grad school at the dawn of graphical web browsing. As soon as I learned how to ftp and change file permissions, I set up what was then known as a Personal Home Page. (Old. School.)

I used it mainly to recommend things I liked.

• How long have you had the website that you have now?

I’ve had sararyan.com since 2001 (here’s a snapshot via the Wayback Machine: http://web.archive.org/web/20010219040125/http://www.sararyan.com/). The design has evolved considerably since then.

• How did you decide what it should look like?

I knew I wanted a sort of collage/bricolage appearance, because I wanted to be able to add images relating to new projects without necessarily changing the whole design. And I think the site’s retro/antique look is paradoxically less likely to feel dated over time.

I also asked my readers; the Flickr and LibraryThing widgets and the prominence of the blog on my frontpage came as a result of their feedback.

And finally, I worked with highly skilled code monkey Space Ninja (spaceninja.com) to develop the details of the look-and-feel and make sure the site worked on different platforms.

• How often do you update it?

It varies wildly — sometimes I post several times a week, sometimes I take a hiatus for as long as a month. Probably the average is about once a week.

• How do you use it to publicize the work that you do?

Like most folks, I announce events and link to interviews. I also make a lot of work available on the site. I have several short comics that you can read online (you can also buy them as chapbooks), and I’ve recorded myself reading my first novel, Empress of the World, in its entirety as a series of podcasts. I’m working my way through my second novel, The Rules for Hearts, too.

• How else do you publicize your work?

I like Twitter.

I’m on Facebook as well, in a low-key way. I respond to comments on my wall, but I’ve never set up fan pages for my books or used it to send event invitations. I can’t quite bring myself to cross that particular self-promotional Rubicon.

And I crosspost my blog entries to LiveJournal. It’s not as popular as it once was, but a fair number of folks still hang out there, especially genre writers, so there’s a certain sense of community.

My overall approach: I don’t force myself to participate in spaces that, for whatever reason, don’t feel right. Lots of writers are on GoodReads; I’m not. Lots of writers have Google alerts set up for their names and book titles; I don’t. And sure, I might miss out on seeing some nice reviews, but I also don’t have the stress of wondering whether a particular mention will turn out to be depressing or delightful.

• How do you balance and prioritize the tasks of writing and self-promotion?

In a sense, the balance is easier for me to maintain than for some of my friends who write full-time on a book-a-year schedule. They always need to simultaneously promote the current book and write the new one.

I have longer stretches between books, so the level of self-promotion ebbs and flows fairly organically. And sometimes I’ll take a hiatus from the blog (as I did in August) to devote more time to writing.

• I love that you’ve posted individual podcasts of you reading your work – what prompted you to do that?

I noticed that my computer had GarageBand!

Seriously, I like reading out loud, and podcasting seemed like it would be easy and fun — which it has been, in part because I, um, don’t worry too much about sophisticated audio production values, e.g. I just record and post.

I started the Empress podcasts as a way to build up to the publication of Rules, and continued because people seemed to enjoy them.

• You regularly blog about other authors and books you recommend – what prompted you to do that?

I read a lot; I like talking about what I read with friends; I like treating blog readers as friends.

• How much do you share about projects you’re working on before they’re published? Does it help your process at all?

I share much less than I once did. I’m less likely to report on word or page count, more likely to discuss process in a broader sense. I wrote a while back on the differences I’ve observed in revising a graphic novel script vs. a prose novel, and I have a post in the works about unexpectedly useful reading.

I think the danger of talking too much about a project-in-progress is that readers may wonder what’s taking you so long (!) and/or get tired of it before it even appears. And publishers often move a book’s release date, so if you’ve said Hey, it’s totally coming out on September 1st!, and then you find out it’ll actually be February 27th of the following year, well, that is no fun for you or your readers.

• What’s your advice to authors when it comes to their online presence?

Have one. At minimum, basic information about your books, a bio, upcoming events. Make it easy to contact you if you want to be contacted. In terms of social media, do what interests you. Don’t blog if it feels like homework, don’t tweet if it feels like a waste of time.

That said, don’t be afraid to try something new, either. It took me a while to get the point of Twitter, now I find it nigh-indispensable.

Thank you, Sara, for your thoughts and advice to those looking to create or optimize their web presence!

Related posts:

1. 8 Communities for Book Lovers
2. Social Networks for Authors
3. Don’t be modest, submit yourself to win online awards!

If you’re considering creating a Facebook fan page, or already have one and want to improve it, here are five tips to help you get the most out of your efforts:

1. Consider a custom tab.  If your page’s Wall tab isn’t particularly active, or you’re not very well known, creating a custom tab allows you to craft a landing page that lets people get to know you.  Facebook allows you to set this custom tab as the landing tab for all non-fans.  Just like your website’s landing page(s) you want your custom tab to quickly impart what you’re all about, and have at least one call-to-action (eg: visit your website, sign up for your newsletter, purchase something).
2. Specifically ask people to “Like” the page.  It’s been shown that Facebook pages that specifically ask people to click the “Like” button are much more successful at acquiring fans.  Lets face it, there’s alot to look at on the average Facebook page – people are easily distracted by ads, or notifications, or even your content – so reminding them to “Like” you page in a clear way help you cut through the clutter.
3. Create a great Profile picture.  You have the opportunity across all tabs of your Facebook page to display a profiile picture – don’t waste that opportunity!  This is basically advertising space – and while you don’t want it to read like a banner ad, you want to use that space to reinforce your brand.
4. Make sure to get the optimized URL.  Pages with more than 25 fans can get a shortened URL for their page.  Not only is this easier to remember, it’s easier to reference throughout the rest of your online & offline collateral.  To get the URL once you have 25 fans, visit http://www.facebook.com/username
5. Keep your page updated! You can have a great Facebook page design, with a custom tab and a killer profile pic, but if you’re not regularly checking in to participate in conversations with fans, or share interesting content, there’s little reason for people to ever visit your page again.  Your Facebook page is an opportunity to keep you and your business active in people’s memories – if they see an update in their feed from your page, they’re much more likely to visit and participate and pass it on.

Related posts:

1. Facebook Page vs Website
2. 8 Communities for Book Lovers
3. What’s in a name? Pretty much everything!

Recently I’ve been asked about which to invest in first for an online platform if you had to choose just one: a Facebook page or a website.  Like with most things, it depends!  There are a number of factors that will go into your decision, like what Facebook audiences have come to expect, how much content you have to share, and the overall goals of your project/business.  I’m going to break down these factors + the limitations of each, so read on to learn more about which is better for you when it comes to Facebook pages and websites.

• What are you trying to do with your web presence? If you’re just starting out, want to build some buzz about what you’re up to, have some conversations with people who would be interested, have some juicy tidbits to share, but don’t have lots of content yet – Facebook is a great option. Facebook is optimized for small chunks of info that can easily be shared and discussed. People don’t go to Facebook to read lengthy prose, and the kinds of things they share are brief, educational, humorous, or helpful in some way. For example, a short, cute video of you talking about the reason you came up with your product/service & what it’ll do for the average consumer is far more likely to be passed around, discussed and “liked” on Facebook than a link to a press release-type page. On the other hand, if you already have lots of content you want to present in a clean, organized fashion – or products you’re offering for sale – or you want a blog – a website is probably the best place for you to start. There are no limitations to the way you present information on your website, so you can organize it however you want, in as many different sections as you want, linked together however you want. A simplified way to look at it is that your website is where all your content ultimately lives, and Facebook is a place you can promote/discuss/share what you’re up to with it. You can certainly create brand awareness on Facebook without a website, and you can certainly leverage Facebook sharing without having a dedicated Facebook page, but often they work best together.
• Who is your audience? Many, many people are already on Facebook (not all of them regular users), but not everyone. And while Facebook is continually being adopted by more mature audiences, it’s still the stronghold of those savvy enough to feel completely comfortable with social media & the public nature of online life – read: younger people. Also, the Facebook audience has come to expect the ability to carry on a conversation with those involved. If your business is reluctant to share or discuss things publicly, Facebook probably isn’t right for you because a static page on Facebook won’t get you very far at all. Meanwhile, your website can implement discussion and comments, but in an environment you completely control.
• What about SEO? Websites offer a way for search engines, and the people who use them, to find your site based on the keywords/phrases you use in the text throughout — and someone landing there for the first time might not yet know whether your site is something in which they’re interested. You can fine tune who finds you and when, based on the kind of content you put on your site, and you can analyze that data any time. And while you want to optimize your Facebook page with rich keywords and phrases, ultimately Facebook controls the way your page is discovered, and they can change it any time. Also, Facebook pages are frequently discovered through referrals, so there’s an implicit recommendation and expectation of common interests from friends. Facebook is designed for people who are connected to easily discover common interests, so the nature of discovery is a little different. This doesn’t mean that websites aren’t shared via Facebook, or people don’t find Facebook pages by searching – just that if you have to choose one over the other, it’s sometimes a choice of a wide net (website) vs a focused approach (Facebook). There’s no doubt that a target persona landing on your website is a win for you. The same people landing on your Facebook page may also benefit you, but always benefits Facebook.
• What about Facebook’s limitations? Limitations!? Yes, even the 4th most powerful website in the world has limitations. And the limitations for Facebook don’t exist on your website where you can break apart you content into multiple, easy-to-use pieces in the way that promotes *your* brand. Facebook isn’t just a checkbox feature, nor is it a magic bullet. You don’t want to be a faceless brand – regular Facebook users are too savvy to spend time on a static, boring Facebook page. Your website will always compete with other websites for viewers, but on Facebook you’re competing within the same space. To stand out you have to have an active presence that offers interesting, sharable information. And design-wise, you don’t have lots of room to play. Facebook limits the width of your Page content to just 520 pixels wide. That’s not very much.
  I am 520 pixels wide.

  Facebook pages also come with a certain number of tabs by default – once you add one or two, the rest are hidden under a menu – this means the space in which you have to promote your content is severely limited, and Facebook controls it and can change it at any time. With your website, sure you need to optimize above-the-fold, but you can create a great user experience that you completely control.

• What about a Website’s limitations? Unless you’re using an existing template-based approach, custom well-designed websites take a specific set of skills & usually more than an afternoon of work.  Creating a page on Facebook, by comparison, is super fast, easy, and anyone can do it.  Using a Content Management System (CMS), like WordPress, will give anyone the ability to update their own website or blog, but it’s still not as easy as posting something to a Facebook page and following the ensuing conversation.  And without promotion, even the best-designed website, optimized for search engines will float on the internet like an island unless you market it through ads or social media, etc..  Facebook, meanwhile, is built for sharing, and includes a built-in search feature.

To summarize, I often recommend that people create a staged approach – those willing and able to create an active Facebook presence, with juicy tidbits of content that are easily shared, with an aim to creating a community of people to follow their project(s) should start with Facebook, and move on to a website once they need the legroom. Those with lots of content that needs a home, with the desire to blog, or break up their site into branded, digestible sections with various calls-to-action should start with a Website, and move on to a Facebook page to help promote their projects when they’re ready to dedicate the time to community-building.

And like with most things, there are no hard-and-fast rules. I encourage you to do some explorations of how projects similar to yours have approached their site vs their Facebook page. What seems to be working well? If a brand has a great Facebook presence, why is that? How do they leverage their website via social media? A little exploration will go a long way to preventing costly mistakes!

Related posts:

1. Facebook Fan Page Tips
2. Clever Internetizens: Sara Ryan
3. Finding your online identity.

Recently I wrote about the importance of delegating when it comes to running your business & maintaining your sanity.  Among the tasks that may be delegated is the generation of blog posts, Tweets and Facebook content.  While there is nothing quite like your authentic voice, and you probably should add your own personal touch from time-to-time, it is possible for someone else to easily add some targeted content to your social media outlets with great success.

By establishing the keywords that bring the most relevant information and people to your attention, someone else can take the reigns when it comes to posting news that position you as an expert, making fruitful connections, and bring your product or service to the attention of those who may need it.  With just a couple of hours a week, someone can handle your social media, and also track its effectiveness through analytics to be sure that future efforts have a greater chance of success.

Not only will your social media impact increase because someone will be dedicated to it, but you’ll maintain a single voice with the added benefit of collaboration.  Collaborating with a social media expert will bring new content not only to the attention of your audience, but to you as well.   They can track mentions of your business, and promote your triumphs!

Finding someone to work with is as simple as finding someone who is willing to understand your business and how you see it evolving… it might be someone you employ already.   If you find someone who is comfortable and familiar with social media, you’ll achieve traction more quickly — but anyone who is passionate about what you do will be a great help.

Related posts:

1. Tweet Your Blog
2. Facebook Page vs Website
3. Clever Internetizens: Sara Ryan

Recently I wrote about creating custom Twitter backgrounds to extend your brand, but what about Facebook?

In the magical triad of social media marketing (your blog, Twitter and Facebook profiles), you want to make sure your brand appears in each place – not just in your tone and message, but also in the way it looks. With so much competition for people’s attention, brand synchronicity certainly helps you stick in people’s minds.

You can customize your Facebook page to include any number of tabs, with whatever content you like, but when you stick to one or two beyond the standard “Wall” and “Info” tabs – you’re keeping your message clear and concise.

Here are some guidelines for creating a custom Facebook page that works:

• Craft a message and a design that is appropriate for the Facebook context. This means that you’re not duplicating your website on Facebook, or putting up screenshots of portions of your website, but instead you’re creating content that’s valuable to the Facebook audience & looks great within their website. Let visitors know, briefly, why they should be interested in you and engage with you. Offer up your expertise, and encourage participation & discussion. Facebook, after all, is a social media venue – it’s built on the premise of participation. We all know that a one-sided conversation isn’t much fun. Coca-cola’s Facebook presence was actually first created by some devoted fans, who still actively participate in the official Coca-cola page, and are featured heavily throughout as founders of their Facebook community… what a great way to encourage community.
• Unless you have lots of traction on your Wall page, and you’re monitoring it regularly for content, make the default tab your custom page. And give your tab an interesting name!
• Create an interesting and engaging Profile image that extends your brand.
• Use events and competitions to encourage people to join your community, and tell their friends about it. If you offer something valuable to your constituency, like a free consulting session, or some merchandise, in exchange for numbers of fans reached, or user-generated content being featured on your page, they’re much more likely to participate. Offer special content to those who become fans, and invite discussion so they’ll stick around!
• Link to your other places where people can learn more about you and what you offer to them – your Twitter acct to learn news, and your blog for longer-form content and resources, and, of course, your website – especially if something can be purchased there. Link directly to the pages you want people to go – don’t just dump them on your Home page and expect them to find their own way.
• Use multimedia content to keep it interesting – fresh video content is interesting, and engages your audience on another level – and, if you have the resources, a custom Facebook app is another great value-add that not only makes *your* page more interesting, but gives people the opportunity to install and use your app, keeping their attention on what you’re doing more often. A webinar is one of the things you could offer to your friends, and after it’s over, you can show it as an example of content available to fans first.

For some GREAT inspiration, check out this site that displays killer Facebook pages: http://www.customfacebookpage.com

And if you’re looking for someone to create one for you, get in touch!

Related posts:

1. Tweet Your Blog
2. Advertising: Putting yourself out there and accepting ads on your own site
3. Client Spotlight: Ann Levine, Law School Expert