Brydie Wright's Blog - Posts Tagged "facebook-parties"
8. May, 2017 A Facebook Party Guide: What, Why and How?
As followers of my social media feeds may be aware, I took part in a Facebook Party on Sunday 7 May. It was a lot of work but I really enjoyed it and I used my 'Guest Author’ forum to launch my new Book Trailer for Daddy and the World’s Longest Poo.
A Facebook Party is a useful tool for promoting yourself as an author or blogger but
What exactly is it?
Why would you use it? (and)
How do you get it right?
Over the next three weeks, I’m going to blog about my experiences and share some tips to help others who may be keen to try the format but nervous about its capabilities and limitations.
The party I’m going to use as a reference point is Michelle Dennise’s Cover Reveal Facebook Party, a page which is still live and filled with great content across seven different children’s authors. It's a good working example of the format and I’m going to preface this blog by saying that I was very impressed with the host’s execution of this party and any experiential knowledge taken from it, will be used here purely for constructive purposes.
And, I should mention that I’ve also been to one other Facebook Party, hosted by a popular writer’s group. I attended as a guest, so I now have user experiences from both the hosting and joining perspectives. There is good and bad in the format, regardless of how well it is executed, and I’ll do my best to present a balanced representation as a kind of ‘beginner’s guide’ to the what, why and how.
In this week’s post, I’ll be musing on a common reaction to the format:-
What on earth is a Facebook Party?
I think your reaction to a Facebook Party invite might depend on whether you are using social media for professional or private purposes. Case in point, my professional author/blogger contacts tended to take my invitations to join a Facebook Party in their stride, or they weren’t letting on to me if they didn’t understand what I was talking about. On the other hand, close family members I invited were terrified of the offer. Maybe that says something about my personal ‘pull’ but I think it was more likely a healthy skepticism on their part as ‘personal’ users of social media. What am I being roped into? Do I have to be on camera in a live party situation? Would I attend this party if the host wasn’t my relative/friend?
So, if you’re considering a Facebook Party invitation and wondering if you should go, let me clear up some possible misconceptions. The beauty of the format is that it can be as ‘live’ an experience as you want it to be, for the participant. You don’t have to break the safety of your anonymous, social media cocoon. You can wear your PJs and sit behind the computer screen chowing down on the snack of your choice with gay abandon, though you will need one hand spare to hit the ‘refresh’ button (more on that in coming weeks!). And, you can dip in and out and be as social or as antisocial as you want to, during the party. You can even miss the party and come back as a voyeur later, if the page remains published by the host.
While live video streaming might be employed if you’re 'techie' enough, the host would use this function at their own peril. Technical gremlins might freeze or delay the feed, especially if you’re at one of those elusive Facebook Parties with 'very high traffic'. Most author parties online would still play it safe and conduct most of the interaction through a series of posts on which guests can comment, as per usual Facebook behaviour, except you know that your host will (or should) be there ‘live’ to respond to your queries.
So hopefully, I’m conveying the idea that a Facebook Party is more like a silent disco with headphones, than a face-to-face, raucous concoction of music, laughter and alcohol. It’s more of an intellectual, knowledge exchange party, you might say, usually with prizes, like a kid’s party! Content can be shared by the host and participants (to varying degrees) via text-based posts, text and photo posts, memes, emojis, clip art, pre-recorded video and links to YouTube and other weird and wonderful places. Live engagement with posts is also encouraged via the commenting function within posts, or visitor posts and page reviews.
To Fly Solo or Co-host?
From an author’s, or Facebook group's perspective, you may ponder whether to host solo or share the spotlight and invite others to ‘co-host’ or ‘guest host’. There are pros and cons to both and I’ll talk more about this when I look at ‘why host a Facebook Party’ in the blog next week. Whichever option you choose, the content you post is designed to impart information about your product, services or group, in the most engaging way possible. A healthy mix is needed between instructive posts, information sharing and inviting audience participation to achieve the interactive and social engagement goals of the party. The most interactive parties encourage ‘live Q&A’, commenting and submitting answers to quiz questions, to enter the draw for promotional prizes.
Varied content and mixed use of audio visual posts, such as pre-recorded video, will liven up what can otherwise be a slow format and as always, asking your guests to compete for ‘free stuff’ will get the party started instantly. Trivia-based giveaways work particularly well when you have an existing group in attendance, with prior knowledge and affiliation with the ‘product’ the party is promoting.
So, the next time you are asked to attend a Facebook Party, don’t freak out. It’s a little like attending comedy or live theatre. Those who love audience participation book front row seats and those who prefer a one-way, observational experience will sit as far from the front as possible. The more of yourself you commit to a Facebook Party, whether host or guest, the more rewarding the experience will be but you might equally prefer to be a fly of the wall and there is no better party for introverts.
And now that you’ve been brave and clicked ‘Going’ to your Facebook Party invite, come back next week for more blogging wisdom on why you might choose this format to promote your writing wares.
A Facebook Party is a useful tool for promoting yourself as an author or blogger but
What exactly is it?
Why would you use it? (and)
How do you get it right?
Over the next three weeks, I’m going to blog about my experiences and share some tips to help others who may be keen to try the format but nervous about its capabilities and limitations.
The party I’m going to use as a reference point is Michelle Dennise’s Cover Reveal Facebook Party, a page which is still live and filled with great content across seven different children’s authors. It's a good working example of the format and I’m going to preface this blog by saying that I was very impressed with the host’s execution of this party and any experiential knowledge taken from it, will be used here purely for constructive purposes.
And, I should mention that I’ve also been to one other Facebook Party, hosted by a popular writer’s group. I attended as a guest, so I now have user experiences from both the hosting and joining perspectives. There is good and bad in the format, regardless of how well it is executed, and I’ll do my best to present a balanced representation as a kind of ‘beginner’s guide’ to the what, why and how.
In this week’s post, I’ll be musing on a common reaction to the format:-
What on earth is a Facebook Party?
I think your reaction to a Facebook Party invite might depend on whether you are using social media for professional or private purposes. Case in point, my professional author/blogger contacts tended to take my invitations to join a Facebook Party in their stride, or they weren’t letting on to me if they didn’t understand what I was talking about. On the other hand, close family members I invited were terrified of the offer. Maybe that says something about my personal ‘pull’ but I think it was more likely a healthy skepticism on their part as ‘personal’ users of social media. What am I being roped into? Do I have to be on camera in a live party situation? Would I attend this party if the host wasn’t my relative/friend?
So, if you’re considering a Facebook Party invitation and wondering if you should go, let me clear up some possible misconceptions. The beauty of the format is that it can be as ‘live’ an experience as you want it to be, for the participant. You don’t have to break the safety of your anonymous, social media cocoon. You can wear your PJs and sit behind the computer screen chowing down on the snack of your choice with gay abandon, though you will need one hand spare to hit the ‘refresh’ button (more on that in coming weeks!). And, you can dip in and out and be as social or as antisocial as you want to, during the party. You can even miss the party and come back as a voyeur later, if the page remains published by the host.
While live video streaming might be employed if you’re 'techie' enough, the host would use this function at their own peril. Technical gremlins might freeze or delay the feed, especially if you’re at one of those elusive Facebook Parties with 'very high traffic'. Most author parties online would still play it safe and conduct most of the interaction through a series of posts on which guests can comment, as per usual Facebook behaviour, except you know that your host will (or should) be there ‘live’ to respond to your queries.
So hopefully, I’m conveying the idea that a Facebook Party is more like a silent disco with headphones, than a face-to-face, raucous concoction of music, laughter and alcohol. It’s more of an intellectual, knowledge exchange party, you might say, usually with prizes, like a kid’s party! Content can be shared by the host and participants (to varying degrees) via text-based posts, text and photo posts, memes, emojis, clip art, pre-recorded video and links to YouTube and other weird and wonderful places. Live engagement with posts is also encouraged via the commenting function within posts, or visitor posts and page reviews.
To Fly Solo or Co-host?
From an author’s, or Facebook group's perspective, you may ponder whether to host solo or share the spotlight and invite others to ‘co-host’ or ‘guest host’. There are pros and cons to both and I’ll talk more about this when I look at ‘why host a Facebook Party’ in the blog next week. Whichever option you choose, the content you post is designed to impart information about your product, services or group, in the most engaging way possible. A healthy mix is needed between instructive posts, information sharing and inviting audience participation to achieve the interactive and social engagement goals of the party. The most interactive parties encourage ‘live Q&A’, commenting and submitting answers to quiz questions, to enter the draw for promotional prizes.
Varied content and mixed use of audio visual posts, such as pre-recorded video, will liven up what can otherwise be a slow format and as always, asking your guests to compete for ‘free stuff’ will get the party started instantly. Trivia-based giveaways work particularly well when you have an existing group in attendance, with prior knowledge and affiliation with the ‘product’ the party is promoting.
So, the next time you are asked to attend a Facebook Party, don’t freak out. It’s a little like attending comedy or live theatre. Those who love audience participation book front row seats and those who prefer a one-way, observational experience will sit as far from the front as possible. The more of yourself you commit to a Facebook Party, whether host or guest, the more rewarding the experience will be but you might equally prefer to be a fly of the wall and there is no better party for introverts.
And now that you’ve been brave and clicked ‘Going’ to your Facebook Party invite, come back next week for more blogging wisdom on why you might choose this format to promote your writing wares.
16. May, 2017 A Facebook Party Guide: Why Host One?
Thanks for tuning in again to the second in this tri-series of blogs on Facebook Parties and what on earth to do with them. Last week, I kicked off with a description of WHAT to expect from a Facebook Party. I’m hoping to de-shroud the mystery around the format.
In this post, I’ll explain WHY the format might be a good one for authors and bloggers, looking after their own PR.
A Facebook Group Celebrating a Birthday or Anniversary
It just so happens I attended another Facebook Party during the week, as a guest, so I’m well-stocked with experiential advice. The party I refer to was an anniversary celebration for a children’s writers' group. The virtual get-together was used as an internal group promotion, to strengthen the collegiate networking spirit between members. As with all Facebook Groups, members can dip in and out of conversations, often contributing to a ‘bystander’ feeling, rather than a sense of 'ownership' re the group’s objectives.
By publicising a 1-hour slot for a Facebook Party on a certain date, at a certain time, it’s a kind of friendly ‘Call to Action’ from the hosts of the group, giving all members a chance to actively take part in a live discussion. Using a Facebook Party to bring together an already targeted group of followers, is a great tool for strengthening engagement, if done right. I’ll talk more about HOW to pull off a successful party like this, next week. The party I attended gave me some great ideas, I'm keen to share.
A Facebook Party Promoting the Objectives and Services of a Group
An industry group for writers might market itself as a provider of services to its members. It is therefore faced with the ongoing challenge of how to engage members with its information and commercial products.
I’m a member of a great industry group for children’s authors and illustrators, though its Facebook page is more of an information service, rather than a page on which members can freely post, share and self-promote. The first Facebook Party I attended was held as a Birthday celebration for the group but it’s PR purpose was very different from the anniversary party I’ve described above.
The host of the party was skillful in designing the activity as an opportunity for members to become more aware of the resources and services available to them. I don’t want to go too far into the ‘HOW’ of Facebook parties this week but this host chose quiz questions (with book prizes) that mostly required a search of the group’s website. What a clever way to direct targeted traffic to your website (during the party) and highlight your services (commercial or otherwise).
A Facebook Party Promoting an Author’s Wares – the Cover Reveal
If you’ve not yet attended a Facebook Party, you might be wondering if it’s a live video-feed, Q&A format. While these live feeds are used to great effect by writers with public profile, the Facebook Party format is a little different. It’s more structured and less reliant on live video streaming, and often a better tool for emerging wordsmiths with smaller fan bases.
New 'indie' author Michelle Dennise, introduced me to the Cover Reveal as a reason to host a Facebook Party. I put my hand up for one of her 15-min guest author slots. Michelle’s Cover Reveal Party page is still live, if you’d like to take a poke around.
As an individual marketing his/her writing business online, as opposed to a group sharing common interests, the most likely reason to use the Facebook Party format is when you have a new product to promote.
Think a virtual book launch and the Cover Reveal Party is a good example. You might (and hopefully do have) a dedicated Author/Blogger Facebook Page but consistent engagement can be hard to garner. You can set up an event on your page, or publish a separate Party Page, especially useful if you are co-hosting with other authors and need a neutral space. The objective is then that this page will attract its own legion of followers before, during and post-event, all the while cross-posting back to your main Author Page.
When you are a new or relatively unknown author, it’s going to be a tough ask to draw a huge amount of traffic to your Party Page. On the other hand, this might be the best reason to host a party. Why not celebrate your launch or reveal your book cover ? It will create a buzz around you, more so than if you are just sending promotional posts out into the ether.
We’ll talk more about this next week but this is where inviting other 'indie' writers to co-host can be a boon. The aim should be to pool your follower base and cross promote the party as much as possible. and after all, a party of one is no fun!
The Cover Reveal Party is best timed immediately prior to your book launch with the goal of attracting pre-orders and followers to your Author Page, post-party.
Next week in the blog...
So, now that I've planted the seed of hosting your own Facebook Party, you’ll be raring to go but don’t rush in quite yet. If you don’t execute a Facebook Party right, you could damage your personal or group brand. None of us want this.
Drawing on my Facebook Party experiences, I’m going to highlight some key areas that will make a difference to how you come across in your live online platform. I can’t wait to share with you.
Have a good week!
Brydie Wright
In this post, I’ll explain WHY the format might be a good one for authors and bloggers, looking after their own PR.
A Facebook Group Celebrating a Birthday or Anniversary
It just so happens I attended another Facebook Party during the week, as a guest, so I’m well-stocked with experiential advice. The party I refer to was an anniversary celebration for a children’s writers' group. The virtual get-together was used as an internal group promotion, to strengthen the collegiate networking spirit between members. As with all Facebook Groups, members can dip in and out of conversations, often contributing to a ‘bystander’ feeling, rather than a sense of 'ownership' re the group’s objectives.
By publicising a 1-hour slot for a Facebook Party on a certain date, at a certain time, it’s a kind of friendly ‘Call to Action’ from the hosts of the group, giving all members a chance to actively take part in a live discussion. Using a Facebook Party to bring together an already targeted group of followers, is a great tool for strengthening engagement, if done right. I’ll talk more about HOW to pull off a successful party like this, next week. The party I attended gave me some great ideas, I'm keen to share.
A Facebook Party Promoting the Objectives and Services of a Group
An industry group for writers might market itself as a provider of services to its members. It is therefore faced with the ongoing challenge of how to engage members with its information and commercial products.
I’m a member of a great industry group for children’s authors and illustrators, though its Facebook page is more of an information service, rather than a page on which members can freely post, share and self-promote. The first Facebook Party I attended was held as a Birthday celebration for the group but it’s PR purpose was very different from the anniversary party I’ve described above.
The host of the party was skillful in designing the activity as an opportunity for members to become more aware of the resources and services available to them. I don’t want to go too far into the ‘HOW’ of Facebook parties this week but this host chose quiz questions (with book prizes) that mostly required a search of the group’s website. What a clever way to direct targeted traffic to your website (during the party) and highlight your services (commercial or otherwise).
A Facebook Party Promoting an Author’s Wares – the Cover Reveal
If you’ve not yet attended a Facebook Party, you might be wondering if it’s a live video-feed, Q&A format. While these live feeds are used to great effect by writers with public profile, the Facebook Party format is a little different. It’s more structured and less reliant on live video streaming, and often a better tool for emerging wordsmiths with smaller fan bases.
New 'indie' author Michelle Dennise, introduced me to the Cover Reveal as a reason to host a Facebook Party. I put my hand up for one of her 15-min guest author slots. Michelle’s Cover Reveal Party page is still live, if you’d like to take a poke around.
As an individual marketing his/her writing business online, as opposed to a group sharing common interests, the most likely reason to use the Facebook Party format is when you have a new product to promote.
Think a virtual book launch and the Cover Reveal Party is a good example. You might (and hopefully do have) a dedicated Author/Blogger Facebook Page but consistent engagement can be hard to garner. You can set up an event on your page, or publish a separate Party Page, especially useful if you are co-hosting with other authors and need a neutral space. The objective is then that this page will attract its own legion of followers before, during and post-event, all the while cross-posting back to your main Author Page.
When you are a new or relatively unknown author, it’s going to be a tough ask to draw a huge amount of traffic to your Party Page. On the other hand, this might be the best reason to host a party. Why not celebrate your launch or reveal your book cover ? It will create a buzz around you, more so than if you are just sending promotional posts out into the ether.
We’ll talk more about this next week but this is where inviting other 'indie' writers to co-host can be a boon. The aim should be to pool your follower base and cross promote the party as much as possible. and after all, a party of one is no fun!
The Cover Reveal Party is best timed immediately prior to your book launch with the goal of attracting pre-orders and followers to your Author Page, post-party.
Next week in the blog...
So, now that I've planted the seed of hosting your own Facebook Party, you’ll be raring to go but don’t rush in quite yet. If you don’t execute a Facebook Party right, you could damage your personal or group brand. None of us want this.
Drawing on my Facebook Party experiences, I’m going to highlight some key areas that will make a difference to how you come across in your live online platform. I can’t wait to share with you.
Have a good week!
Brydie Wright
A Facebook Party: How to Host a Good Shindig
Welcome to another week and the third and final instalment in my Facebook Party Guide: the WHAT, the WHY and the HOW.
This week: the 'HOW'
Anyone can throw a Facebook Party but as with a real-life party, or launch event, a bad or poorly executed party, could do more harm than good.
If your aim as a writer or writer's group, is to promote and engage, then there are ways to do this to a professional standard. On a public-facing page, we are always on show and every opportunity counts.
From my experiences, as both a party attendee and guest host (and former event manager), I’ve gleaned some trips of the trade, designed to help your party provide a better user experience and return on investment for the host/s.
Timing and Duration
Let’s be real. A virtual party is an awkward format for both the host and the user. Therefore, the best tactic is to keep it short and sweet. One hour works well, as the pace can often be frantic when the activity is live. Your users will appreciate a manageable timeslot they can devote themselves to, around their busy lives.
If you have good reason to make your party longer (for example, you might be co-hosting and providing multiple guest author slots), then keep the schedule tight. Publicise key timings for tuning in (i.e. cover reveals or Q&As) and accept that your audience and engagement will ebb and flow, as with any real-life party over several hours. Just give guests enough reasons to tune in and keep coming back.
If your audience is international, you are never going to please all timezones. As with Michelle Dennise’s recent Cover Reveal Party, the host invited US and Australian guest authors to take part, so found a morning/evening slot that suited US and Australian timezones. If your audience is local, around 8pm on a Sunday evening or weeknight might be a good time, to allow families to get their commitments out of the way before hand.
Inviting co-hosts: the pros and cons
A simple term for inviting other people to co-host your party is ‘group work’. How many projects have I seen fail as soon as responsibility becomes decentralised and the most conscientious person ends up doing all the work?
In terms of hosting a Facebook Party as a professional, promotional tool, it doesn’t have to be this way. Group work in this scenario should mean, strength in numbers, pooled talents, pooled resources, depth of content and variety of approaches. Michelle Dennise’s Facebook Party page is a good example of a group activity making for a richer promotional and user experience. Post-party, the page is still attracting more and more likes by the day!
When you bring others into your project, these tips migh help keep things on track:
◦As host, you are ultimately responsible for how the party plays out, so plan, promote, rehearse and expect the same of your guest hosts.
◦Invite people you know to co-host, or have some sort of vetting process, or agreement from your co-hosts that they will be able to commit to what is required (including cross-promotion of the event on their own feeds).
◦Guest hosts are responsible for the success of their individual slots but don’t assume anything, as people’s knowledge of the technical capacities of Facebook will differ. If you are main host, make sure everyone involved is clear on the ground rules for posting and interaction and that they understand how to navigate and use the party page effectively, BEFORE the party goes live.
◦Maintain pre-party communication with your co-hosts and perhaps set up a chat group on messenger (useful during the party, in particular). Don’t be afraid to ask for segment outlines from your group, so you know all is well in advance, or can help, if potential glitches seem to be arising.
◦Provide 'trouble shooting' guidelines for your co-hosts, so they are aware of the technical gremlins that can plague Facebook Parties. For example, attendees need to regularly refresh their pages, so that they can see the newest content. Co-hosts will also do well to pre-schedule some posts and rehearse and plan the best way to post video material in the feed.
How to Deliver A Fun Party When You Are Live
For my money, here’s a summary of some do's and don’ts to get the most of your Facebook Party.
Don’ts
◦Don’t leave too much to chance. Know what you are going to post, when you are going to post it and how. Audience interaction should be 'by the seat of their pants' but your's as host should be controlled wherever possible.
◦Don’t leave too much time between posts. Think carefully of the user experience. How long will it realistically take attendees to read and interact with the post, leaving some buffer for delays and technical issues? If you leave it too long before your next post, it will break momentum and leave those with good WIFI connections and reflexes, bored.
Do's
◦As with any event, provide some simple and friendly housekeeping rules for your attendees (and co-hosts). If they’ve never been to a Facebook Party before, they’ll appreciate it. The main thing is to manage EVERYONE’s expectations. Technology/WIFI is our friend but can also be our greatest foe. The more traffic to your site at one time, or the weaker a participant's internet connection, the more delays you might expect. Let everyone know upfront, that new posts will go up regularly and to keep refreshing their pages every few minutes to stay in touch with the latest posts.
◦Use a wide variety of posts to enrich your content delivery including text, colourful or meaningful graphics, text with graphics, funny/cool gifs, book trailers, cover reveals, short presenter videos (pre-record preferably) and quizzes with prizes.
◦Did someone say trivia and prizes!! This is a terrific drawcard and engagement tool and I’ve seen it used expertly by the Just Write for Kids and Creative Kids Tales Facebook pages for their group parties. The latter upped the ante and competitive spirit, by asking questions that required a live visit to its webpage. The former chose a fantasy theme, Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, to keep all of us writerly types enthralled and engaged.
◦If you run a quiz, I do think it’s rewarding for those in attendance, to award a prize at the end of the event but you might also like to keep an avenue open for post-party engagement to the page. This could be done by running another competition for those who couldn’t attend and keep it open for a certain amount of time post-party.
◦Invite real interaction from the audience, to make guests feel involved in the party and not just bystanders. A great technique I learned is to ask your guests to introduce themselves when they arrive and share their professional Facebook Pages. Writers love this!! Another idea is to run a live Q&A segment, or generally invite comments to any post. As host/s, try to reply during the party if possible and if not, acknowledge and respond to comments/questions after. Reward and thank people for their participation.
I hope that the experiences I’ve shared have been constructive. I appreciate not everyone might agree, or you might have better ideas on how to pull a crowd and achieve a high return on investment from a Facebook Party.
I’d love to hear from you either via a comment on my website (www.brydiewright.com) or you might like to comment in the Facebook feeds where I share this post.
To all who’ve taken the time to read (and the parties I've cited as inspiration), thank you.
Now, good luck and get partying!
This week: the 'HOW'
Anyone can throw a Facebook Party but as with a real-life party, or launch event, a bad or poorly executed party, could do more harm than good.
If your aim as a writer or writer's group, is to promote and engage, then there are ways to do this to a professional standard. On a public-facing page, we are always on show and every opportunity counts.
From my experiences, as both a party attendee and guest host (and former event manager), I’ve gleaned some trips of the trade, designed to help your party provide a better user experience and return on investment for the host/s.
Timing and Duration
Let’s be real. A virtual party is an awkward format for both the host and the user. Therefore, the best tactic is to keep it short and sweet. One hour works well, as the pace can often be frantic when the activity is live. Your users will appreciate a manageable timeslot they can devote themselves to, around their busy lives.
If you have good reason to make your party longer (for example, you might be co-hosting and providing multiple guest author slots), then keep the schedule tight. Publicise key timings for tuning in (i.e. cover reveals or Q&As) and accept that your audience and engagement will ebb and flow, as with any real-life party over several hours. Just give guests enough reasons to tune in and keep coming back.
If your audience is international, you are never going to please all timezones. As with Michelle Dennise’s recent Cover Reveal Party, the host invited US and Australian guest authors to take part, so found a morning/evening slot that suited US and Australian timezones. If your audience is local, around 8pm on a Sunday evening or weeknight might be a good time, to allow families to get their commitments out of the way before hand.
Inviting co-hosts: the pros and cons
A simple term for inviting other people to co-host your party is ‘group work’. How many projects have I seen fail as soon as responsibility becomes decentralised and the most conscientious person ends up doing all the work?
In terms of hosting a Facebook Party as a professional, promotional tool, it doesn’t have to be this way. Group work in this scenario should mean, strength in numbers, pooled talents, pooled resources, depth of content and variety of approaches. Michelle Dennise’s Facebook Party page is a good example of a group activity making for a richer promotional and user experience. Post-party, the page is still attracting more and more likes by the day!
When you bring others into your project, these tips migh help keep things on track:
◦As host, you are ultimately responsible for how the party plays out, so plan, promote, rehearse and expect the same of your guest hosts.
◦Invite people you know to co-host, or have some sort of vetting process, or agreement from your co-hosts that they will be able to commit to what is required (including cross-promotion of the event on their own feeds).
◦Guest hosts are responsible for the success of their individual slots but don’t assume anything, as people’s knowledge of the technical capacities of Facebook will differ. If you are main host, make sure everyone involved is clear on the ground rules for posting and interaction and that they understand how to navigate and use the party page effectively, BEFORE the party goes live.
◦Maintain pre-party communication with your co-hosts and perhaps set up a chat group on messenger (useful during the party, in particular). Don’t be afraid to ask for segment outlines from your group, so you know all is well in advance, or can help, if potential glitches seem to be arising.
◦Provide 'trouble shooting' guidelines for your co-hosts, so they are aware of the technical gremlins that can plague Facebook Parties. For example, attendees need to regularly refresh their pages, so that they can see the newest content. Co-hosts will also do well to pre-schedule some posts and rehearse and plan the best way to post video material in the feed.
How to Deliver A Fun Party When You Are Live
For my money, here’s a summary of some do's and don’ts to get the most of your Facebook Party.
Don’ts
◦Don’t leave too much to chance. Know what you are going to post, when you are going to post it and how. Audience interaction should be 'by the seat of their pants' but your's as host should be controlled wherever possible.
◦Don’t leave too much time between posts. Think carefully of the user experience. How long will it realistically take attendees to read and interact with the post, leaving some buffer for delays and technical issues? If you leave it too long before your next post, it will break momentum and leave those with good WIFI connections and reflexes, bored.
Do's
◦As with any event, provide some simple and friendly housekeeping rules for your attendees (and co-hosts). If they’ve never been to a Facebook Party before, they’ll appreciate it. The main thing is to manage EVERYONE’s expectations. Technology/WIFI is our friend but can also be our greatest foe. The more traffic to your site at one time, or the weaker a participant's internet connection, the more delays you might expect. Let everyone know upfront, that new posts will go up regularly and to keep refreshing their pages every few minutes to stay in touch with the latest posts.
◦Use a wide variety of posts to enrich your content delivery including text, colourful or meaningful graphics, text with graphics, funny/cool gifs, book trailers, cover reveals, short presenter videos (pre-record preferably) and quizzes with prizes.
◦Did someone say trivia and prizes!! This is a terrific drawcard and engagement tool and I’ve seen it used expertly by the Just Write for Kids and Creative Kids Tales Facebook pages for their group parties. The latter upped the ante and competitive spirit, by asking questions that required a live visit to its webpage. The former chose a fantasy theme, Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, to keep all of us writerly types enthralled and engaged.
◦If you run a quiz, I do think it’s rewarding for those in attendance, to award a prize at the end of the event but you might also like to keep an avenue open for post-party engagement to the page. This could be done by running another competition for those who couldn’t attend and keep it open for a certain amount of time post-party.
◦Invite real interaction from the audience, to make guests feel involved in the party and not just bystanders. A great technique I learned is to ask your guests to introduce themselves when they arrive and share their professional Facebook Pages. Writers love this!! Another idea is to run a live Q&A segment, or generally invite comments to any post. As host/s, try to reply during the party if possible and if not, acknowledge and respond to comments/questions after. Reward and thank people for their participation.
I hope that the experiences I’ve shared have been constructive. I appreciate not everyone might agree, or you might have better ideas on how to pull a crowd and achieve a high return on investment from a Facebook Party.
I’d love to hear from you either via a comment on my website (www.brydiewright.com) or you might like to comment in the Facebook feeds where I share this post.
To all who’ve taken the time to read (and the parties I've cited as inspiration), thank you.
Now, good luck and get partying!
