10 ways authors should use their Facebook fanpage

1.) Draw your blog's RSS feed into your fanpage with apps like Social RSS

2.) Show off your book trailer videos or live interviews with the Youtube app

3.) Update with tour info, like location and dates by creating an event. After the event, post your photos in an album on the page.

4.) Expand your network by inviting friends to become fans with a note explaining what value the page will provide, and a link to it.

5.) Encourage folks who land on the page to like it, by creating and implementing a specific landing page, asking them to do so, and giving them something (like a free book chapter) in return. Check out Facebook for Business's fanpage for an example.

6.) "Like" other pages to help build your community.

7.) Hold contests and giveaways.

8.) Include links in the "about" box to places where your books can be purchased.

9.) Respond fast to comments folks leave. When fans are engaging you, it's a good sign!

10.) Ask questions, start discussions and create polls (ex. asking your fans to vote on a topic they'll care about).

Share your notes

Readum from Travis Alber on Vimeo.

Times are a changin! But not really-- remember the way you used to seek out a copy of the required book for your college class with the most comments and highlighting already done in it, by another (presumably smart) student? Well it's something we're all still doing-- taking notes as we digest what we read, and trying to connect with other folks' opinions. Now there's an easier (digital) way to annotate and share parts of books-- Readum integrates Google books and Facebook, allowing you to select passages and comment on them-- both within the book and on your social wall/group. Could allow for some lively banter, pre-book club meeting. Pretty cool!