Create a Facebook Group for Your Newsletter Subscribers

I am an author and have had a newsletter for years. There are not more than a few hundred subscribers, but I have excellent click rates.

This is probably because I have built my newsletter entirely organically. Only those who have read one of my books to the end will find the link to the registration.

This is to make sure I only have people on the list who really want to hear from me because they like my stories. I have never used list-building activities such as Facebook ads or sweepstakes.

What a newsletter can't do

Like so many authors, I only send my newsletter when I have a new book to sell. I know the advice of many marketing gurus that you should send a newsletter at least once a week so that subscribers don't forget who you are.

Moreover, according to the experts, a newsletter should not only sell but also build the author's brand. You have to develop a relationship with your customer and reveal something about yourself.

But that's not my method. I don't want to position myself as a brand because I'm neither Apple nor Coca Cola. I'm not a product, I make some (books). So I am a human being and maybe even an artist.

But I think people should not primarily send out messages but communicate with each other. Only through dialogue can people get to know each other. And no matter what all the newsletter gurus say - you can't have a real conversation through a newsletter.

Sure, many newsletter authors ask at the end of the mail to reply, participate in a survey, or otherwise contact the sender. But these are all crutches that have nothing to do with real dialogue.

To cut a long story short: A newsletter cannot build relationships.

Social media as an engagement booster

The success of this mail surprised me completely. Firstly, it had the highest opening rate ever achieved by any of my newsletters with 60% and secondly, already in the first hours after being sent, over a hundred people contributed to my new Facebook group.

Many readers have expressed their gratitude that I have founded this group because they have long wished to communicate more with me and get to know me better.

Of course, I also received a lot of messages from subscribers who told me that they didn't have a Facebook account. But these people also wished me much fun and success with the group. I actually only got positive feedback for this step.

When the next book release was due, the full potential of the group unfolded. I posted the cover as soon as it was finished, revealed the title and gave first hints what the thriller would be about.

The reactions have been significant. Discussions arose about which character the readers like most, which books from the series they have already read and which they have not yet read.

On the day of publication, members of the group did a lot of advertising for me on Facebook. Also, the first reviews came much earlier this time than usual.

The great thing about a Facebook group is that I can communicate even small news immediately without starting a new newsletter campaign every time.

Since I started the group, the commitment of my fans has increased significantly. I'm getting a lot more emails and messenger messages now.

This means that I now know much better what my readers like, what they would like more of, and what I need to avoid better in the future.

I recommend that anyone who wants more interaction with their fans or customers create a Facebook group. You'll be surprised at what happens.