I was an early adopter of Facebook; I signed up in November 2005 when an .edu address was required for an account. To say Facebook has exploded since then is an understatement. But things have changed dramatically, and now Facebook business pages, groups and personal profiles are getting fewer views than ever before.

 

A few years ago, it seemed all I had to do was mention something about my business and folks would sign up. Recently, I’ve learned most people aren’t even SEEING my posts. I have a Facebook group of about 300 people and see that maybe 8% of my members are viewing my posts and Facebook Lives.

It breaks my heart to see so many people putting their time, energy and even money into using Facebook for business…when the ROI just isn’t there for most people. Every day, one entrepreneur or another comes to me upset because their posts aren’t getting seen anymore.

 

A lot of these people also say they want to blog, they want to write a book and the like — but feel they don’t have the time.

 

Trust me, you have the time. Especially if you stop spending so much energy on Facebook posts and Lives (let’s not touch the scrolling/browsing time at the moment).

So, why is writing a book a better use of your time than obsessing over the next Facebook post?

 

Writing a book screams expert status

It’s REALLY hard to fake expertise in an entire book. Unfortunately, there are more charlatans trying to get business on Facebook than ever before — especially in the coaching industry.

 

I’m continually amused — and appalled — when I see people who have never been paid to write calling themselves book or writing coaches. Folks who don’t have a stable romantic relationship calling themselves twin flame relationship coaches. Or people who only built a six-figure business through selling business coaching claiming they can help other people build six-figure businesses.

There are a lot of fakes out there, which makes it harder to gain that classic know, like and trust factor on social media.

 

A book literally makes you an authority; yes, even when it is self-published. You use 100+ pages to demonstrate your expertise, your processes, share client stories and more. You have that reader’s dedicated attention. There just aren’t thousands of other posts and people competing with you during that person’s reading time.

 

Writing a book increases the media’s interest in interviewing you

 

During my 17-year newspaper journalism career, I was inundated with people wanting me to advertise their businesses (and generally, I was a crime and government reporter).

When someone has a book, it increases the urgency factor. Newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations and podcasts want the latest and greatest news. Your book is the “hook” that will reel them in, as long as you pitch it properly.

 

Writing a book provides ongoing income opportunities

 

The words “passive income” can be very misleading, as you can’t just put a book on Amazon and any other site and expect it to bring in thousands or millions of dollars overnight. Marketing is crucial.

 

However, at the right point after publication you will wake up to unexpected book sales. Making even a few dollars while you sleep is always a great feeling.

 

Also, you can purchase author copies of your book and sell them on your website, in your store or at your speaking events for more profits.

 

You have true control over your messaging when writing and self-publishing a book

 

We’ve heard countless stories of people locked up in Facebook jail, shadow banned or outright banned from Instagram and TikTok, ad accounts canceled and so much more.

 

See, you have to be careful what you say on social media…especially nowadays. If someone disagrees with you or is just plain petty, they can report your posts. This can lead to your posts being deleted or even your account being banned. (Regardless of if you’re a paid advertiser or are creating free content.)

 

With a self-published book, you have complete control over your message. No publishing house is there to refuse to print part or all of your book, and no social media platform can delete your words or even your very presence. Your personal enemies or competitors can’t do petty things like report your book in hopes that it’ll get deleted (even the Amazon review process is pretty fair, and you can get clearly unfair reviews removed). You are a true content creator.

 

Although self-publishing on Amazon and other sites comes with a few guidelines, it’s generally pretty hard to get banned as a creator on there, unless you’re plagiarizing other people’s work, reprinting the same content in multiple books, threatening public officials and the like.

 

Summing it up

 

Consider how much time you’re spending on each Facebook post, and devote some or all of that time to writing or dictating your expertise into a book. You, and your future customers and clients, will be much better served.

 

The possibilities are endless when you focus on publishing a book rather than obsessing over social media posts that are literally here today, gone tomorrow.

 

This article was originally published by Entrepreneur on June 8, 2022.