Gnu Writer Speaks: Facebook for Dummy (me)

My new shaman, Shama Kabani (of ‘Zen of Social Media Marketing’ fame), provides a compelling case for Facebook and a web site as foundations for the crucially important outreach to find the ‘audience’ for my writings.  How?  By getting out amongst them, that’s how.  I need to go out (electronically) and mix with folks who may find interest in a new (OK, relative at 72) voice telling action/adventure tales.  

First, I tackled Facebook.  If I were a millennial or Gen X, I would have had a Facebook page at 13 and it would have been as easy and natural as breathing the sweet, scented air at a Lady GaGa concert.  But, at 72, the first challenge was to figure out the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of Facebook even before the ‘how’.  This strikes at the core of the social media scene.  It is to engage in a conversation.  To be part of the ‘buzz’ not just a creator or exploiter of the buzz.  It is to figuratively sit down in the 21^st century coffee shop to rap.  (Does the term ‘rap’ give me away?).  Decades of business networking with some very fine people made ‘friending’ easy.  But, this is a long term issue.  You do NOT post ads or any other form of obvious ‘sell’ any more than you would button hole a neighbor at a SAY soccer game and try to sell him/her long term care insurance.  De trop.  A classic faux pas that will brand you as a jerk.

But, to tell your ‘friends’ what you are up to in a conversational manner is expected and acceptable.  What I am up to is writing and I say so.  But, no ‘sell’ on Facebook.  That’s what the web site is for.