Like so many authors, Barbara Howell has worn many hats, including her many careers: farmer, cosmetologist, wife, mother, grandmother, woodworker and now author.

Enjoy this interview.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and how long have you been writing?

I laughingly tell people I’m proud to be from the country—more specifically from the hills and hollers of Tennessee. I was born and raised in a small town about 70 miles south of Nashville, but later as an adult I also lived in Tulsa, OK for about 10 years. Through my business, Southern Ladies Showcases, I have had the opportunity to travel extensively across the United State, especially in the South East and Mid West regions.

My love for writing began almost 50 years ago as I started writing plays and skits for a youth group at my church. Pretty soon that developed into a stronger passion and years later in my 40s I had the opportunity to begin taking college writing classes to develop my skill-set. From there, I spent as much time as possible writing, but found that at that time, ‘my story’ hadn’t yet been completed. It would be 20+ years later before I realized the book I was actually supposed to write–the story having been in the making all of my life.

Tell us about your latest book. What do you hope readers take away from it?

My book, Splinters: Splinters: The Pain, The Passion, The Point is a story of hope and encouragement that is actually auto-biographical in nature. Splinters shares my tale of growing up with a several hearing loss handicap that would later prove to drastically effect my life. The story is a candid look at the triumphs and struggles that I overcame, and the ultimate victory I experienced, making it to the ‘other side”.

The message I hope every reader walks away from is something that I’ve built my life around. I saw a cartoon many years ago of a bird trying to swallow a frog. The frog in turn, had his hands around the birds throat even from within it’s mouth. The caption reads, “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over!” and that cartoon inspired me so much that I had an artist paint it for me and I have it hanging in my house to this day. When I was ready to write Splinters I knew I had to share that motto with my readers. Regardless of the situation or circumstances, a reminder that “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over!”

Share some of your writing goals. What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on my second book, a book that delves deeper and centers around one of the topics in Splinters: my brother-in-law’s murder conviction. (Readers will have to grab a copy of Splinters to get a preview of this story!) In addition to that, I currently speak to groups, churches and clubs and hold regular book signings promoting Splinters. I am proud to say that Splinters has won several awards, including “Best Christian True Story” for 2010 and an Award of Excellence from Graphic Design USA.

What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

That’s a tough question as I read anything I can get my hands on—but I especially love books of an encouraging and inspirational nature. One of my favorites currently is a book called, The Bloodline of a Champion By Mark Hankins. I love books that push me to grow and help to serve as a reminder that as I tell others, “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over!”

Book you’re currently reading?

I am actually reading several books currently especially as the holidays are behind me—I can always count on a hefty variety of new books to delve into after gifts are exchanged! Among these, I gravitate toward other books that are biographical and I’m currently reading books about the lives of John G. Lake and Nancy Reagan.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

When I’m not writing, I can almost always be found in my woodworking shop, crafting wooden display cases and overseeing operations for Southern Ladies Showcases. The circumstances that led to my profession as a female woodworker are detailed in Splinters, but the passion I have for the activity is still just as prevalent today. I love being down in that shop!

Where can we learn more about you?

You can actually find out more about me on my website at www.splintersbook.com and on Twitter @splintersbook

Anything else you’d like to add?

I would just finish up by reminding readers that regardless of their current situations or how bad their circumstances look, there IS a new day tomorrow and things can turn around almost immediately it seems. Just a reminder that if they will keep fighting, keep persevering and stay after it they too can determine that “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over!”

I’m getting a lot of questions about guest posting here, which I understand because so many of us are trying to get back links or promote blogs or books or whatever. So I wanted to let you know about my other blogs, in case there is a fit for your post there, too. You can do an interview here, guest post there. Or whatever. Promote away! I’m an author too and understand where you’re coming from. It’s hard to get attention for your book or blog when there are so many great ones out there. Here’s an update on where you can guest post with me, and if any of these interest you, contact me.

Working Writers

You’re here already! We have a lot of guest posters and interviews here, and then I chime in too and give my opinion. A lot of things have already been covered, so to not duplicate, it’s a good idea to take a look around and see what we might have already done. Things like the basics usually won’t get you the views, but if you can personalize it, that’s better. For example, an article on the basics of making money on a blog might not work, but if you can say, “here’s how I make money at blogging” that would be great. Basics on getting an agent has already been done, but if you want to talk about how you personally did it, that would be of interest.

If you’re writing a guest post, see if you can help out a fellow writer. We all love tips about how to get more out of our creative juices, so make your post helpful (and not just a promotion for your book!)

And do I need to say this? This blog is about writing. Now, it’s pretty broad, because we have a collection of different writers and bloggers here, so you can write about blogging, freelancing, or the like and anything that goes with it (clients, publishing, making money, running a small business, finding inspiration, etc.). Just don’t send me a blog about how to wear the perfect black dress. Which someone did. That doesn’t apply here. (Even if you’re wearing a black dress to write. It still doesn’t apply.)

As of December 2011, Working Writers traffic was:

Unique Visitors: 8,000 per month
Number of Visits: 25,000 per month
Pages: 99,000 per month
Hits: 315,000 per month

The Dating Blog (aka “Ms. Dating Consultant”)

The Dating Blog is my oldest blog, because I started as a dating and lifestyle writer. (And guess what? I still am! Isn’t that awesome when you can write about what you love and make it a niche?) Topics for the blog include everything related to finding a relationship: dating, date ideas, wedding stuff, knowing when you’ve met the one, etc. The focus is on relationships and not sex.

Again, since this blog has been around a while, a lot of things have been covered. So if you’re submitting, try and see if you can put a new spin on something. There is always something new to talk about in the dating world, so find that special viewpoint or relate to your own experience, and write something up.

What types of writers might like to submit to The Dating Blog? Dating writers (obviously), relationship or lifestyle experts, and novelists. Yes, novelists! If you have any type of romance or struggle for love and acceptance at all in your book, you’re the perfect candidate to guest post. Talk about your process for getting your characters together, or how you’ve drawn on your own experience, or what you think about romances in pop culture today, and the like.

As of December 2011, The Dating Blog’s traffic was:

Unique Visitors: 4,500 per month
Number of Visits: 18,000 per month
Pages: 40,000 per month
Hits: 85,000 per month

Her Geek Life

Her Geek Life is a lifestyle site especially geared toward girly geeks. While this may sound very specific, it’s actually very inclusive of all those odd facts and articles you might not be able to place anywhere else. As a geek girl myself, I like a variety of things, and so do a lot of other girly geeks out there. Anything related to health, beauty, fashion, your love life, happiness, odd facts, movies, gadgets, technology, rants, TV, food, and you name it. Check it out and you’ll get an idea of what’s on there.

What types of authors or bloggers might want to post there? A wide variety. Anything nonfiction or fiction could apply. That sounds very vague, but the site covers a lot, and I’ve yet to find anything that doesn’t really work on it. It’s a lifestyle site, so the focus is on things you like or favorite things or ways to improve yourself, etc.

As of December 2011, Her Geek Life’s traffic was:

Unique Visitors: 3,500 per month
Number of Visits: 12,000 per month
Pages: 45,000 per month
Hits: 85,000 per month

Eiffel Trifle

Eiffel Trifle really is a random and specific blog. I started it because I love Eiffel Tower stuff, and wanted to blog about it. So I write about things I find that are cool. Because this is such a random blog, I don’t update it very often, just when I feel like and/or have time. I bring it up here because every once in a while someone will ask me if they can guest post on it. I haven’t accepted guest posts on it yet, mostly because I can’t imagine that someone would want to post on such a random blog! But some writers or blogs have focused on Paris or the Eiffel Tower in some way, so if that’s you I’ll open it up to guest posters. The traffic reflects the randomness of the blog and the blogger’s posting habits (meaning: it’s small).

As of December 2011, Eiffel Trifle’s traffic was:

Unique Visitors: 1,000 per month
Number of Visits: 2,000 per month
Pages: 6,000 per month
Hits: 20,000 per month

Promotion

If you guest post on any of my blogs, I do promote every post on Twitter and Facebook for sure, and usually some other sites as well.

More on Blogging and Guest Posts:

• ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
• Creative Blogging: Your First Steps to a Successful Blog
• Virtual Book Tours

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One thing I adore about the blogging community is just how friendly and generous they are. Connie Brimmage from Salvage Savvy says something similar at the end of this interview. Connie’s blog is fairly new (less than a year at the time of this interview), so I hope you’ll all give her a big, hearty, Working Writers welcome.

Enjoy this interview.

I really adore your blog. When did you decide to start it? Was there a “I’ve got to write about this” moment when you were doing a project?

Thanks so much Cherie! I decided to start Salvage Savvy in March of 2011. I’ve always loved interior decorating, and I am constantly doing DIY projects around our home. However, I didn’t spend a lot of time on the computer and had never read home decor blogs [I had NO idea what I was missing!]. One day I stumbled upon a blog via Nate Berkus’ website [I just love Nate, don‘t you?!] and something just “clicked“ inside of me. It was like finding the missing piece to my creativity puzzle. I called my sister and told her I wanted to start my own blog and then immediately began designing and writing ideas for it [well, once I got her blessing… you know how important that is if you have a sister!]. The idea of sharing my passion with others was SO EXCITING and I couldn‘t wait to start. Looking back, I realize that the timing was pretty much insane! You see, our baby girl was three months old at the time [which is the perfect time to start blogging… if you love utter chaos and despise sleep] and I really had no idea that beginning a blog is essentially equivalent to having another child!! Nevertheless, I’m so very glad that I went ahead and took the leap and wouldn‘t change a thing. This is truly my passion so all of the hard work is worth it.

How often do you update the blog?

I’m still a fairly new blogger [I can use that excuse until Salvage Savvy is a year old, right?!] so I’m still figuring out what posting schedule works best. Here’s the thing: I don’t have alot of extra time to sit around reading blogs all day and I realize that my readers don’t either. Therefore, I only write two or three times each week but I really want each post to inspire, inform or make people laugh in some way [and if I can do all three then it's a really good day!]. I try to keep Salvage Savvy a fluff-free zone! Also, because I focus on sharing projects with my readers, I add one new project to the blog each week. Yes, that keeps me busy, but I recognize that DIY projects are the “pulse” of Salvage Savvy so it’s important!

More DIY Resources:

• DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner: 25 Ways to Build a Self-Reliant Lifestyle
• DIY Art at Home: 28 Simple Projects for Chic Decor on the Cheap
• Real-Life Decor: 100 Easy DIY Projects to Brighten Your Home on a Budget

Writers are always looking for places to get their book reviewed, right? Well, here’s a source you might want to check out.

Enjoy this interview.

How did your blog get started? What was the thing that made you think, “It’s time to do this”?

I first learned how to write reviews in the “professional” sense when I was taking a Children’s Materials and Services class in the Library and Information Studies program at the University of Alabama. Normally when someone thinks of a book review, it might be a review on Amazon.com where someone writes, “Amazing book!!!!!” or “I hated this book!!!!!” and simply leave it at that. In the Children’s Services class, we were taught to analyze juvenile books as children’s librarians. Why is this a good book for children? Does it teach a lesson? Is it entertaining? Is it biased or outdated?

Technically there are four blogs, all hyperlinked to each other. One is devoted to adult fiction/nonfiction, one to children’s literature, one to young adult literature, and one to graphic novels. I was surprised at how much fun these reviews are to write. Reviews start with a “teaser” of sorts, like something you would read on the back of a book to get you interested. Then you analyze the book’s merits, and give suggestions as to what age range is appropriate, or who would be interested.

How often do you update the blog?

I try to post a review on each blog at least once a month.

What kind of posts do you write and accept?

For the adult blog, I have decided to set “themes” for myself for each month. January’s theme is Doomsday Literature (the world’s supposed to end this year, so why not embrace it through fiction?). I accept any and all comments from readers.

Let’s switch gears to books. What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

Duneby Frank Herbert. It’s a classic science fiction novel that’s laden with wonderful world-building details. It’s not just a book you can read, but a place you can live in while you read it.

Favorite authors?

Too many to count! But just to name a few: Stephen King, Alison Weir, Antonia Frasier, Anne Rice, Mercedes Lackey, Neil Gaiman.

Where can we learn more about you?

I have a Facebook page where I’m listed as Elizabeth.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’m entertaining myself with the book reviews while working on a novel entitled Pathos Fair, and searching for a method of publishing it.

More on Book Reviews and Promotion:

• The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing
• Faint Praise: The Plight of Book Reviewing in America
• Virtual Book Tours

There’s writing for free, and then there’s writing for free. What I mean is, there is a difference between exposure for exposure’s sake, and backlinks. We all write for free these days occasionally, but there is usually a good reason for it. You’re guest posting to get backlinks, you’re doing a favor for a blogger friend, you’re promoting your book or blog, etc. After all, much of what happens on a virtual tour is free writing in the form of guest posts on other people’s blogs.

But then there’s the notion of exposure, and that’s what I want to talk about here. The other day I saw a note on one of those places where writers look for resources and interviews, and this person posted about needing “contributors” for their “upcoming magazine issue.” What I found made me mad. Let’s talk about it.

Pay in the Form of Exposure

It took me several clicks at the magazine’s site to discover that they were strictly an online mag that charged a hefty monthly fee to subscribers. Nothing wrong with that, and at first I thought it was encouraging because with a large fee they must pay their writers. Right?

Wrong.

They paid in the form of “exposure.” Their site looked terrible, so maybe they were a startup. Still, though, they were going out to recruit writers for several free articles for their magazine for February in a variety of categories.

Now, the question is, should you write for them? What’s the difference between doing a virtual tour or guest post, and writing for exposure?

Virtual Tours

I want to focus on virtual tours for a minute because so many authors are doing them, and I can attest that they are valuable if you have a book to sell. They give you plenty of backlinks that stay long after the “tour” is over. In many cases on these tours you’re writing specifically about something related to your book, so you get to talk about it, link to it, and get readers interested in it.

Is this worthwhile for writers? Absolutely.

Guest Posts

Guest posts are trickier, in my opinion. I still do them occasionally, especially for other bloggers that I’ve gotten to know or people I’m trying to get to know. For example, when I first started writing about friendship, I was asked to do a couple guest posts from other friendship bloggers. (One was about understanding about your girlfriend’s healthy problems at Girlfriendology and the other was about “What I Know Now” about friendship at Girlfriend Circles.

These bloggers were “competitors” of mine to a degree, but we decided to band together and help each other out. (Which is just one reason I love other bloggers. They get that we can all benefit from helping each other.) Another scenario with guest posting is when you’re trying to just get some backlinks, or get to know other bloggers, or establish your name in the area in which you write.

Is something like this worthwhile? You bet.

Before You Do Guest Posts

Before you do a guest post, however, you need to be clear about your goals, and this is where the distinction will come in when you’re comparing guest posting to writing for exposure only. In guest posting (virtual tours, etc.) you’re able to link to your website (and if you’re not, why the heck are you doing it!), you’re able to give a short bio of yourself, you’re probably blogging about a subject you have chosen and really enjoy, you’re probably able to talk a little bit about something near and dear to your heart, and on and on. You need to decide what the value is in a guest post for you.

For example, when I first started out as a freelancer I needed to accomplish a couple things. I needed people to come visit my website and I needed to establish my name as a serious blogger. I wasn’t a hobby blogger, but no one knew it back then because no one knew me. I’m not famous now (that’s not what I’m talking about), but I do have a reputation as being a serious blogger and freelance writer. One thing that helped me establish that was guest posting on various places where I could show that I was an expert in things like lifestyle and relationships. I made sure that the sites I chose were getting decent amounts of traffic, and had an influence of some sort with the audience I was trying to attract. If I wrote a guest post that helped me with the criteria I wanted most, I did it.

Writing for Exposure

Magazines or sites that hire, search for, and recruit writers to work solely for exposure, though, are tricky. They are more tricky than guest posts, because if “exposure” is all you’re looking for, you need to make sure that the site is really going to give it to you. As I said, when I clicked through to that online magazine in question, it was obvious they were new and probably didn’t have much traffic. Will that get you exposure? Doubtful.

Also, if exposure is what you want (and that’s not a bad goal), you can always get it other ways than just guest posting. Think about offering yourself up as an expert for radio or TV shows, get exposure in your community by volunteering to teach a class at your community center, enter a reputable awards contest, get interviewed by another blogger, and on and on. There are a lot of ways you can promote yourself if you want exposure.

Getting Experience

The other argument with writing for a rinky dink magazine for free is that you get “experience” and writing credentials. Well, yes and no. I did this too when I first started out, and anywhere I wrote for free didn’t hold a lot of weight with the people I was trying to get a paid job for. If you write for a non-profit for free, that’s something different. What I’m talking about are those magazines who actively recruit writers on job boards and on places like HARO for work, promise a lot, and don’t deliver. It can be difficult, especially when you’re new, to protect yourself against them.

• Before you take a job writing for free, ask yourself:
• Is this an opportunity that is better (traffic-wise, pay, connections) than if I posted on my own blog?
• Will doing something for free for this person help me get other paying jobs? (In other words, is the editor really connected where they would hire you again for a paying gig down the line? Do some checking.)
• Will doing this gig establish that I’m willing to write for free. (That’s a hard precedent to break.)
• Will doing this gig take too much time away from promoting myself in other ways?

More on Guest Posting:

• How To Market Your Business With Guest Blogging
• Guest Posting Secrets-Building Business With Guest Posting On High Traffic Websites-AAA+++
• Virtual Book Tours

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest post by Cynthia Kocialski

You were thrilled to be handed your diploma. Your school years were behind you, and, most likely, you were excited about starting your first job. This was the launch of what you believed would be a rewarding and glorious career.

But something unexpected happened on the way to your flourishing career: it didn’t happen. You took your first job. You expected to rise through the ranks quickly. Instead you are doing exactly what your boss tells you. You receive good performance reviews, but you are still stuck in the same job.

What happened to the thriving career you anticipated?

The school system imparts factual knowledge.  This training might land you a job, but it can’t create a successful career. The rules of success changed dramatically after they handed you that diploma, but no one bothered to tell you.

1. When you were in school, it was easy to distinguish who were the better students.  Everyone in the class was given the same test, and everyone was ranked in relation to everyone else.  The workplace is not objective. No two workers get the same assignment; everyone gets a different piece of the puzzle to complete.  When it comes to promotions, awards and raises, you are being compared with your coworkers like apples to oranges. Whether the apple is better than the orange is a matter of perspective. It depends on what your boss values or who was given the better assignment.

2. “Keep your nose to the grindstone” is not necessarily a good career strategy. You expect that as long as you work hard enough and with enthusiasm, you will reap the rewards for your efforts. Employers want workers to put in longer hours and get more work done. When I started in engineering, I was asked to work double shifts to get an important project completed on time. I know new hires in law firms that are asked to work long hours to meet clients’ deadlines. We aren’t paid any more for our efforts, nor does it make our careers move forward. The problem is that there will always be another project to be done. So when do you do the work that creates a career and not a job? This is the fallacy of “working hard, but not working smart.”

3. “It’s not whether you win or lose that matters. It’s how you play the game.” Winning really does matter. Would you hire an attorney who loses all of his cases? Would you want to go to a doctor who never cures his patients?

4. “Money can’t buy you happiness.” Maybe it can’t, but once you get out of school, you find out that money really does matter a great deal.  Some of your dreams require money, and money does make your life easier.  This is coupled with the ridiculous notion that if you do what you love, the money will follow.  Just ask an artist about this one. My daughter’s summer school teacher was a sculptor with graduate degrees in art. He was teaching elementary kids pottery – and he definitely was not cut out to be a teacher. So now that he’s spent all those years in college, he’s realized that he can’t make a livable wage doing what he loves to do.

5. Every year in school, teachers ask you what you want to be when you grow up. Did anyone ever follow that up with the question, “So how do you plan on doing that?” One of the biggest missteps is not setting and planning goals beyond your diploma. Did anyone ever teach you how to plan out goals? Most of the time, I find that people engage in forward planning. They start with today and then plan out the next step and what’s after that.  When is the goal reached? Do you make vice-president when you turn 90? Planning backwards acknowledges where you are today and pegs your goal out in the future, working from the goal backwards to today. This way, at least you’ll have a chance of making vice-president by 40!

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Artsy blogging links for this week. Enjoy.

Beading Arts
Interested in publishing this year? How about starting out with a magazine?

Eileen – The Artful Crafter
You can transform plain glassware into unique home decor. Check out Eileen’s first attempt with transparent glass paints.

Glass Mushrooms
Cherie makes glass mushrooms for the garden out of dessert bowls.

Favorite Craft Books:

• Surface Treatment Workshop: Explore 45 Mixed-Media Techniques
• Flavor for Mixed Media: A Feast of Techniques for Texture, Color and Layers
• Art at the Speed of Life: motivation + inspiration for making mixed-media art every day

“Comin Thro’ the Rye” by Robert Burns never ceases to remind me of Catcher in the Rye. In fact, I never thought about the poem much before I read that book. Funny how that happens sometimes.

Enjoy this poetry Saturday.

O, Jenny’s a’ weet, poor body,
Jenny’s seldom dry:
She draigl’t a’ her petticoatie,
Comin thro’ the rye!

Comin thro’ the rye, poor body,
Comin thro’ the rye,
She draigl’t a’ her petticoatie,
Comin thro’ the rye!

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro’ the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro’ the glen,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warl’ ken?

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro’ the grain;
Gin a body kiss a body,
The thing’s a body’s ain.

More books by and about Robert Burns:

• Poems and Songs of Robert Burns
• Burns: Poems (Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets)
• The Bard: Robert Burns, A Biography

What a week it’s been… I had planned to go to a few networking events this week because one of my goals is to be a bit more social in order to grow my business. I had a lunch and a Meetup event on the books, and had to cancel both because of illness. I don’t take off for being sick often, but I had one thing on top of another. Then, when I went to the doctor, the car broke down on the way home! Yeah, it’s been that kind of week.

Hopefully next week will be better. What are you working on this week? Write in the comments and let us know. I enjoy hearing about your projects and I know the rest of the readers do, too.

Despite my illness, I was able to write a few new articles this week:

• Where to Find Love
• How to Meet Your Birth Mother
• Ways Social Networking Ruins Friendship
• Favorite Friendship Blog (vote for your own or someone else’s)
• Best Nonfiction Book About Friendship
• Best Fiction Book About Friendship

Here are some links and news items from the week.

At Daily Blog Tips, they had important information on “How to Add a Call to Action to Your Post.”

Writer Unboxed answers the question: “Do You Need Multiple Agents If You Write in Different Genres?”

Michael Hyatt tells us “Why Vision Is More Important Than Strategy.”

Social Media Today tells us “How to Get Business from LinkedIn — and Spend Less Time on LinkedIn.”

From Mashable, “Super Bowl XLVI Gets a Social Media Command Center.”

Also from Mashable, “Online Ad Spending to Surpass Print for First Time in 2012.” I’m kinda surprised at this, aren’t you? I thought this might have happened a while ago.

Good points here: “On Quirky Character Names” at Writer Unboxed.

Social Media Today has “Pinterest: When Curation Becomes Meaningful for Anyone.”

Rachelle Gardner answers the question, “Should You Go With an Indie Publisher?”

Writer Unboxed has “5 Attitudes Toward Publishing You Should Avoid.”

The Savvy Book Marketer gives tips on “4 Simple Steps to Creating a Vanity URL for Your Amazon Author Central Page.”

Search Engine Journal has “5 Simple Ways to Explore Your Social Media Following.”

All Twitter has “How to Get More Clicks on Twitter.”

From Galley Cat, “Pinterest Tips for Writers.”

Image: Kittisak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest post by Kirsty LaVier

If you’ve kept up with any of the latest marketing trends, you know that Facebook marketing is big – and only getting bigger. After all, how can you ignore a website that has more than 800 million users?

But just because you’ve created your own Facebook page doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s working. Here’s how you can tell if your Facebook page is a success – or a dud:

1. You’re making more money

This is what Facebook marketing boils down to – profits. If your Facebook marketing campaign is truly successful, you’ll see a boost in profits. How you see those extra profits, however, can vary. You might just notice little things – like more traffic to your website, an increase in email subscriptions, or an increase in phone calls to your store. At the end of the day, though, it’s all going to translate into more money!

If you really want a good way to keep track of Facebook-related income, add a shopping cart to your page or offer Facebook-only coupons.

2. You have quality fans

Having 50 highly-targeted Facebook fans is better than having 500 fans that aren’t part of your target audience. While you should always be looking for more fans, just having any ol’ fan isn’t good enough. If you want to make the most money off of your Facebook page, you need quality fans that have a legitimate need or desire for your products and services.

And, if that number of quality fans keeps increasing on a steady basis, that’s the best you can hope for!

3. People are always commenting and “liking” your posts

When people take the time to comment on what you’ve posted, that’s a great sign. Not only did they make it all the way through your status update, picture album, embedded video, or outside link – but they also thought enough of it to share their thoughts! Even if people just take a split second to click the “like” button, it means you’re making an impression on them.

Conversely, if you’re the only one who ever participates on your Facebook page, you’re doing something horribly wrong!

4. You update your page – but not too much

By updating your Facebook page on a regular basis, it shows that your business is anything but stagnant. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to add something new every few minutes. Even if you just update your Facebook page once a day, it shows people that they need to come back frequently and check out your new stuff. And, let’s face it – even the busiest businessperson can find time to do a daily update!

Kirsty LaVier is editor for AShop Reviews, and loves social media just a little bit too much for her own good.

More on Facebook:

• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Facebook, 2nd Edition
• Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day
• Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (And Other Social Networks)

Image: creativedoxfoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net