- Set up a Facebook page for fans.
- Collaborate with other blogs for more exposure.
- Connect with parents.
- Ask interactive questions in updates.
Early on, I created a Facebook page as a way to connect with readers and drive traffic to Little Austinite.
Page Versus Profile
At the time I created a Facebook page, I concurrently created a Little Austinite profile. Although I made a profile, Little Austinite wasn’t a person and the page wasn’t something parents could use.
When I made a page, I initially couldn’t comment as myself using the “Little Ausinite” page name. Instead, I would log on using the Little Austinite profile if I needed to comment as the website.
Facebook has since resolved the page issues, but I haven’t weeded out the Little Austinite profile yet. It just sits there. All the information is on the page.
Collaboration
Little Austinite was the first big mommy blog focusing on families that live in Austin. Now, other blogs are coming up.
I often link to other Austin sites and encourage them to post things that would be interesting to Little Austinite readers. I email and ask that they post information under their name. Then, I’ll turn around and comment using the Little Austinite name.
I collaborate with Macarooni Kid North Austin and Alt-Mama to share information. Some of these sites have regular readers who cross over to Little Austinite .
Little Austinite, on the other hand, sits at about 1800 regular readers and grows by about 5-10 moms a week. That’s not a tremendous growth compared to coupon sites, but I target a more specific group.
Facebook allows me to connect with other mommy bloggers to share information. They get more exposure through the Little Austinite page and their pages introduce Little Austinite to new readers. That’s another way I use Facebook to drive traffic.
Connecting With Parents On Facebook
A lot of parents are a little shy about posting questions directly on Facebook. They send me emails and I try to respond to them all personally if I know the answer. If I’m stumped, I post the question on Facebook for other people to answer.
I encourage people to post whatever they think is necessary or helpful. I want the page to be a community forum for parents.
I try to make the Facebook page as interactive as possible. If I blog about how to make a hair ribbon, I’ll link to the blog post and ask a question.
Sample questions:
- What else have you made with your children?
- What do your daughters like wearing in their hair?
- Do you have an easy craft?
- Have you done this in an easier way?
Discussing Tough Topics on Facebook
When something relevant to parenting happens in Austin, I use Facebook as a way to facilitate discussions.
Last year, a man angry at the IRS flew his little plane into an office building and killed someone. When I saw it on the news, my first thought was that my kids were sitting behind me. It was sudden, breaking news, and there was no way to screen it.
Suddenly, I had to discuss why someone would want to crash a plane into a building and death with my kids. I posted something on Facebook as a way of finding out information.
I post things on Facebook to generate conversations with others. My friends say I overthink parenting, which became a theme in the blog. I joke about the overthinking parent.
Every Friday, I write a parenting editorial about questions that had come up throughout the week. That week, I wrote about the psychotic person who flew the plane into the building and how to talk about death with kids.
Another week, I blogged about Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. I asked questions about overscheduling kids. When I write about parenting, I never use my own kids’ names. The first reason is for privacy. The second is because I want to write about universal parenting issues. I want parents to be able to insert their own kids’ names in the post.
Use Facebook to connect with other parents and blogs in the community. Facilitate discussions and generate conversations with others, particularly about tough topics.
