Recently I have been invited to some author 'like for like' events. I decided to partake and see if it really worked. Were authors really going to support each other or did you end up liking others and get zilch in return?
It showed me several pictures from a persons page and gave me names to chose from. I had to click the right person or my account would be closed. It was like a really shit game show.
I easily identified my friends from multiple pictures and what did I win... not a sausage! Facebook do not have a problem with you 'following' someone you do not know but they object to you 'friend requesting' someone you have no personal connection with outside of FB.
As an author I am not going to know each person personally so I accept all friend requests unless they look really dodgy, alas the odd pervert and fruitcake still get through but they are blocked and reported.
I've had authors point out that you need to 'like' from your author page not from your personal or book pages as they don't count. I've also noted several times my likes have disappeared on my author page and I have to go back through a 're-like'. someone. I know I have liked them as they appear in my newsfeed but when I go through an event it allows me to like the page again. Bizarre.
I should also point out that the FB jail is full to the rafters with bloggers and authors. I believe this is due to the 'promote your page' which FB brought in. However, Anne Rice was mugged by that and wrote a scathing review on how she spent thousands but didn't get anything in return so don't fall for that. I also noted that the more likes you get, the higher the promotion cost is. There was no option to drop down the menu as there had been when I had 27 likes.
I also set up my own event https://www.facebook.com/events/482826078461796/
I discovered Facebook hates these events. It will allow you to 'like' a few pages and then it will start asking you to enter a verification code for each one you want to like thereafter.
After doing that several times it logs you out and states your account seems to been accessed by someone Phishing and is now suspended. I had to enter a new password. There was no other option.
After doing that several times it logs you out and states your account seems to been accessed by someone Phishing and is now suspended. I had to enter a new password. There was no other option.
A week later I discovered event organisers and participants could avoid this by allowing people to post a 'preview' picture of their page so people can hover over it and click 'Like'.
They can also use the '@' sign and type their page name as a link so you can hover over it as well. It stops people having to open page after page.
Don't keep commenting on each post to say you have liked it, just click 'like' under the post to show you have. You will show up on their page and they should return the 'like' just as this person is.
I gave my event longer as 'a day' is too short and people were getting slammed in 'Facebook Jail' for rushing their likes or commenting with a link which facebook sees as spam. I would suggest other do the same. I also left it open for people to still click like when it was 'closed'... all I did was remove the ability to post comments. Simple.
I gave my event longer as 'a day' is too short and people were getting slammed in 'Facebook Jail' for rushing their likes or commenting with a link which facebook sees as spam. I would suggest other do the same. I also left it open for people to still click like when it was 'closed'... all I did was remove the ability to post comments. Simple.
Friend requests
I had a list of friend requests from authors who wanted to start a dialogue and continue to support each other. I thought that was lovely and went down the list clicking accept.
What I didn't realise is some people had 'suggested' friends and I hadn't noticed the 'add friend' instead of 'confirm'. I just rushed through clicking them all. This resulted in FB telling me off for adding people I don't know 'in real life' and threatening me with account suspension. Now I scan the list and click 'ignore' first on all suggestions, then I go through and click confirm.
If you don't do that a message appears saying 'You must know the people you send friend requests to in real life outside of Facebook'. It then gives you the option to cancel all outstanding friend requests or gamble.... this means identifying 'friends' in photographs, a bit like an ID parade.
If you don't do that a message appears saying 'You must know the people you send friend requests to in real life outside of Facebook'. It then gives you the option to cancel all outstanding friend requests or gamble.... this means identifying 'friends' in photographs, a bit like an ID parade.
It showed me several pictures from a persons page and gave me names to chose from. I had to click the right person or my account would be closed. It was like a really shit game show.
I easily identified my friends from multiple pictures and what did I win... not a sausage! Facebook do not have a problem with you 'following' someone you do not know but they object to you 'friend requesting' someone you have no personal connection with outside of FB.
As an author I am not going to know each person personally so I accept all friend requests unless they look really dodgy, alas the odd pervert and fruitcake still get through but they are blocked and reported.
So do these events work?
I've liked approx 1000 pages from various events using my author page, books pages etc over the past two weeks and I've had approx 475 returned http://www.facebook.com/AiramAuthor So yeah it is working but there are the odd ones who just post their link on every event but never 'return' that 'like for like'. What I intend to do it collate a list of links of people who returned the 'like for like' on my page and post it on my blog so you can see who played by the rules.
I've had authors point out that you need to 'like' from your author page not from your personal or book pages as they don't count. I've also noted several times my likes have disappeared on my author page and I have to go back through a 're-like'. someone. I know I have liked them as they appear in my newsfeed but when I go through an event it allows me to like the page again. Bizarre.
I should also point out that the FB jail is full to the rafters with bloggers and authors. I believe this is due to the 'promote your page' which FB brought in. However, Anne Rice was mugged by that and wrote a scathing review on how she spent thousands but didn't get anything in return so don't fall for that. I also noted that the more likes you get, the higher the promotion cost is. There was no option to drop down the menu as there had been when I had 27 likes.
Thank you to everyone who has 'liked' my page, joined in with my event and continued to support my work. I hope this little blog helps everyone who has been asking questions and give you some tips towards avoiding FB jail time. I will leave you with some of the FB jail messages users received as I know some of you were anxious to see what they looked like. If you get them don't worry, it is usually a warning first and should they restrict you, you will be back to normal in the time it states... but using the tips above should avoid it.
Happy Liking!
Happy Liking!
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