While other publishers pump out book-release promotions on their Facebook pages, Random House is focusing on exclusive, reader-oriented content. And Random House is typically getting over 12 percent engagement from its followers, while its competitors’ engagement rarely exceeds 5 percent.
The Random House page features “quotes from books or authors, reflections on the value of books and reading, as well as funny cartoons,” writes Wavemetix’s Leonie Bulman. By focusing on content that teaches and entertains instead of focusing on selling, Random House is doing social media right.
One recent cartoon’s caption reads, “That’s the author of the book that grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go!” and has a courtroom witness pointing angrily at the plaintiff.
In another post, a marble lion at the New York Public Library stands underneath a quote from James A. Michener.
These posts have 535 and 677 Likes, respectively.
In contrast, Random House’s competitors’ recent posts—book release news and promotions, and images of book covers—frequently generated fewer than ten Likes each.
Random House’s December engagement was typically over 12 percent, reaching as high as 25 or 27 percent. Penguin, HarperCollins and Hachette, on the other hand, usually had engagement of less than four percent, often even falling lower.
“This suggests that Facebook users are much more likely to engage with content they find entertaining, valuable, aspirational or touching, rather than posts which try to sell new products,” writes Bulman.
Engagement percentages are based on the Talking About This metric, displayed next to the Likes count under the page name, made available in October.
Clearly, Random House is figuring out what makes readers tick. And it’s not looking at book covers—it’s curling up with a good book and becoming absorbed in a fictional world and a literary tradition.
Image: Flickr
Weekly Newsletter