I was approached by Emma who is a writer for Accreditedonlinecolleges.com and she mentioned an article which might interest the readers of this blog. I had a look and had to say that it was rather interesting.
So, I have reposted it here, please let me know what you think! You can check out the rest of her blog here.
image from here
Reading is a solitary act, but the love of books is social…(so true!)
After all, who hasn’t experienced a great book that made them want to rush out and share their love of the novel with others? It is from this love of books that book clubs were formed, with book club origins tracing back to the 1700s. The modern book club was popularized by Oprah Winfrey, and has grown to enjoy widespread use today. Online book clubs have even popped up, using social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter for virtual gatherings and book discussions in lieu of club meetings.
Social media isn’t just for book clubs that want to live online — it’s for clubs that meet in person, too. Using social media tools can bring your book club into the modern age, with collaboration, networking, author connections, and so much more. Read on to find out what social media can do to improve your book club.
- Find theme ideas: Check out blogs to find out what fun things other book clubs are doing.
- Network with new members: Use social media tools to find new members and grow your group.
- Connect with authors: Make author discussions a part of your book club with Facebook and Twitter.
- Stay in touch in between meetings: Interact with your friends from book club anytime on social media.
- Start a Twitter list: Easily stay up to date on what your book club is discussing by creating a Twitter list of all members.
- Start a hashtag: Bring the discussion to Twitter with a hashtag for your group and beyond.
- Connect with other book clubs: Grow your book club by talking to other book clubs on Twitter about your latest reads.
- Vote on book selections: Use Twitter or polling tools to help decide what your next book club selection will be.
- BookClubIt: Manage your book club online using BookClubIt, which allows you to invite friends, have discussions, and find similarly interested readers.
- Find books: Keep your ear to the ground for new books your club can read using Twitter.
- Create collaborative documents: Use Google Docs to set up discussion questions, book ideas, and more for the entire club to access online.
- Set up reminders: Send reminders via Twitter, Facebook, or email to make sure everyone remembers to read and come to the meeting.
- Keep your group updated: Keep content fresh and update regularly to keep members coming back.
- Swap e-books: Join the Kindle Lending Club on Facebook to take advantage of free ebooks for your book club.
- Invite your friends: Let your friends and family know about your book club using your social media connections on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites.
- Create a social calendar: Set up a Google Calendar that members can update for meetings, movie outings, and other events.
- Check out Book Club University: Follow Book Club University to find book club courses, tips, and more.
- Let virtual members join in: If you have members far away, or just those that can’t physically make it to meetings, create a group chat through Facebook or Google+.
- Use the Book Clubs app: Use the Facebook Book Clubs application to set up your own club with a message board, wall, top books, and more.
- Blog your book club: Keep a blog for your book club with the latest news and schedules for the group.
- BiblioTravel: Want to plan a book getaway for your group? Check out BiblioTravel to find books set in a certain place.
- Share with Shelfari: Create a virtual bookshelf and share with friends on Shelfari.
- Create a message board: Keep the discussion alive in between meetings with a message board for book discussions and friendly chat.
- Twitter while you’re reading: Stretch the discussion out while you’re reading by sharing your thoughts with the club on Twitter as you read.
- BookJetty: BookJetty makes it easy to find books together for your book club-you can socially locate books in local libraries and more.
- BookLamp: Get matched with books for your book club through this Pandora-style service for book lovers.
- Post photos from meetings: When the meeting’s over, the fun doesn’t have to stop. Post photos, videos, and great discussions in your Facebook group or on Twitter.
- Meetup: Create a book club on Meetup, where you can plan meetings, books, and find new members.
- Revish: Create a group on Revish to discuss books and reading, keep a reading list of books to read together, and keep a reading journal.
- Book Movement: Book Movement offers top book club picks, as well as live author chats your book club can take advantage of.
- Share online reading guides: Find and distribute reading guides to your club members using social media tools, so everyone’s well informed before your meeting.
- Reader’s Circle: Create listings for your book club, network, and find author events on Reader’s Circle.
- Create events: Allow book club members on Facebook to RSVP to your next meeting, find information, and invite friends with Facebook Events.
- What Should I Read Next?: Using this tool, you can find great book recommendations for your book club.
- Continue discussions: If you have book discussions that had to be cut short, create a thread for them on your group’s Facebook page.
- Live tweet your book club: Generate interest for book club meetings by sharing highlights from the event on Twitter.
- BookMesh: Put your book club online and connect with new members on BookMesh.
- Create a flyer: Make a flyer that you can share as an image on Twitter, Facebook, and more to attract new readers.
- Connect with your meeting location: If your book club frequents restaurants or pubs, find out if they’re on Facebook or Foursquare so that you can check in and get special deals and badges for your group.
- BookTour: Book clubs can find literary events and author talks with the help of BookTour.
If you would like to check out the original article, please go here. Thanks Emma, this was interesting to read!
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