("Ooh, I can just put some template together, click 'Send,' and people will still be responding to my e-mails weeks from now? Sounds good. 'Cause anything that will give me the time to stop procrastinating my novel would be a really good thing." Anyway, that's a post for another day.)
So I noticed that the pages on the website included the Facebook comment plugin, and an "aha!" light went off over my head.
At first, I wasn't aware that this was the case. I was confused when Michael Hyatt decided to remove the comments capability from his blog and switch to all social media interaction. ("I've Pulled Comments From My Blog - Here's Why")
I also read a lot of marketing advice that recommends leaving thoughtful blog comments on other peoples' sites as one of the best way to leave a subtle back-link to your own website. "Hey, she had an insightful comment. Wonder what she does on her own website?" ("How to Boost Blog Engagement by 1583% in 6 Months")
Also, not everyone has a Facebook account. So how would they comment at all?
So I was concerned about the idea of relying on Facebook to generate buzz about my latest story or book. "If people have something to say, they're gonna say it on my site. So there!"
But the numbers spoke for themselves. For every one comment I get directly on my blog, I get five comments on Facebook. And that doesn't count all the "Likes," which is additional interaction and increased exposure.
And when it comes to the "What if they don't have a Facebook account?" question, the truth is that 99.9% of my friends and potential readers are on Facebook. So if I lose 1% of potential comments--okay, I have to be mathematically correct, so that would be 0.1% of potential comments--I still gain in the long run.
And that still doesn't stop me from commenting on other peoples' blogs, or stop others from commenting directly on my website. The comments are via Facebook, but they're still right on my site.
Pretty darn convincing.
So I installed the Facebook comment plugin yesterday. It was a cinch, even for a super non-techy like myself. Now I have a bee-you-ti-ful page with a super easy comment system that keeps the buzz going. Sweet beans!
Scroll to the bottom of the page for my story SAND JEWEL to see how it looks!