Inspirational Facebook pages…
My friends tell me that Facebook is their most common cause of procrastination (not that I would know, of course).
And a survey by Ipsos Mori proves this. We spend 3.6 hours on social media; 25% of our waking time. Apparently. It’s definitely less than that for me.
And, if there’s even an inkling of truth in those data, we want to help you spend that time wisely.
Rather than follow the antics of your friends, or perhaps even the antics of your friends’ pets, we’ve brought together our best suggestions for Facebook pages to watch and follow.
And we haven’t just chosen how-to pages. We’ve selected ones that we hope will inspire you, or perhaps make you think.
…For writers and dreamers
There are many, many Facebook pages that inspire, motivate and inform us on every topic from business, to writing, to marketing, to simply boosting how we feel when we get up in the morning. And we could have chosen any of them.
Not all pages are created equal, and so, in order to narrow it down, we’ve made a selected of pages that represent different kinds of content, and also ones that post regular content and have good engagement with their fans.
To be excluded does not mean that we favour one page over another, simply that we wanted to make a selection that was not just about writing tips or business tips.
Our choice runs the gamut of authors, communities, individuals, and companies, and our chief criterion was that they feed your brain in bite sized pieces as you scroll through your newsfeed.
We’ve put the pages into categories but they do overlap. The main thing is that we want you to discover at least one new page.
Please let us know over on our Author Unlimited Facebook page which ones you like and whether you have any to add to the mix.
Enjoy!
People
1. Michael Hyatt
Author of Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, a former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, and now the author of one of the top leadership and marketing blogs on the internet, Michael Hyatt’s Facebook page posts professional advice, inspiration for writers and publishers, and personal stories. He was also named by Forbes magazine as one of the top ten Online Marketing experts to follow.
We like Michael’s page because it is a good mix of personal stories, quotes, and his blog posts.
2. Paulo Coelho
The Brazilian lyricist and novelist most famous for his novel The Alchemist is one of the most followed authors on Facebook due to his inspiring quotes and devotion to his fans. His English page does not have as much of a following or engagement, as his Portuguese one, but it’s worth a follow all the same for the poignant quotes and deep insights.
We like Paulo’s page because of his intelligent thinking and the beauty of his writing (even in English!)
3. Karen Salmansohn (NotSalmon)
Karen Salmansohn is the self-help guru for ‘people who wouldn’t be caught dead doing self-help’. With a mission to, ‘offer easy-to-absorb insights and advice to help you bloom into your happiest, most loved, highest potential self – and have fun in the process’, you just know her Facebook page is going to be stock full of crafty advice, unique perspectives and fun ideas.
We like (or should that be LOVE) Karen’s page because she’s quirky, creative and very, very smart.
4. Chalene Johnson
Author, motivational speaker, and ‘life changer’ Chalene Johnson is prolific at almost everything she does (she won the Guinness World Record award for most fitness videos!), so you know you’re signing up for a huge amount of content when you click ‘like’ on her Facebook page!
We like Chalene’s page because of her energy and her positive personality.
Writing
5. PEN Center
The PEN Center’s mission is to stimulate and maintain interest in the written word, which is a little understated for such a lively page. Supporting writers is at the heart of the posts, and sharing the lives of writers, fiction and non-fiction, will make you glad to be a writer.
We like the PEN Center’s page because they aren’t recycling same-old same-old but they are making a stand for literary human rights.
6. Writers Write
Writers Write is a page full of literary birthdays, funny grammar jokes, and ‘words we love’. This is a page for all kinds of writers who want to feel like part of a community, find new writing prompts, or just come for a well-informed laugh about the literary world.
We like it because it’s a really varied mix of content, but relevant.
7. Captain Grammar Pants
A page for lovers of Grammarly, and other grammar pedants. If you want to vent all your grammatical frustrations in similar company, you’ll love Sean Williams’ page. Captain Grammar Pants posts on everything grammatical, from misplaced modifiers to the classic and misunderstood Oxford comma.
We like Sean’s page because it’s entertaining and lighthearted (with ‘pants’ in the name it’d have to be, right?). And you don’t have to be a nerd to enjoy what she has to say.
Inspiration
8. Go, See, Write
This is a collection of travel stories, blogs, videos, and photographs from permanent traveller Michael Hodson. For the travel writers out there, or just those that like staring dreamily at where they’d rather be, this page is half envy-inspiring travel catalogue, half thought provoking social commentary about the human condition. Although it may not give you specific advice on writing, it will definitely offer some different perspectives.
We like Michael’s page because, well, we like to travel. And if we’re not travelling, we like to look.
9. Humans of New York
This might not seem the obvious choice for a writer, but what is more inspiring and thought provoking then the incredible lives of ordinary people? Humans of New York is dedicated to telling the stories of the faces on the street that most people just walk by. Started by photographer Brandon Stanton, it’s become a phenomenon, with a book deal and the ever-growing Facebook page. Of course as writers we know the draw is in the storytelling.
We love Brandon’s page just because it’s beautiful. Beautiful pictures, beautiful stories. Human life magnified.
10. 3 Word Wisdom
As far as quotes go, sometimes more is less. 3 word wisdom aims to give you simplistic inspiration, everyday.
We like Christine’s page because it’s soothing and stimulating.
11. Pick The Brain
A site for self-improvement with a focus on productivity, motivation and confidence, Pick the Brain offers everything from short motivational morning reads, to practical how-to articles and advice from professionals. Some articles are from there website, while some are guest written, and others curated from around the web.
We like the page because it’s a nice mix of accessible and self-improvement (perfect for Facebook!).
Business and Creativity
12. Poets and Writers
This Facebook page is the social media face of the 40-year-old non-profit magazine dedicated to supporting creative writing. With shout-outs for competitions and submissions, as well as articles about writing and publishing news, and advice columns on all stages of writing, this is a great practical page to follow.
We like it because of the contests and fellowships they offer. A great resource for creative writers.
13. Re/code
Keeping you up to date with everything tech, Re/code is the one stop page for everyone who needs to know what’s happening, but doesn’t know where to find it.
Basically a news site, we like Re/code because we get to see some stories that we might otherwise miss. Keeps us on our toes!
14. Convince & Convert
A market leader in digital marketing, Jay Baer’s site Convince & Convert, provides news in marketing, ideas, strategies, and articles and videos from leaders in the area of digital marketing.
We like the site because it’s market-tested, up-to-date, high quality information for online marketers.
15. TED
As writers, we need constant inspiration to be creative. We need new information and points of view, and TED Talks are a fantastic way to get that inspiration right on your Facebook timeline. I will warn you thought, TED talks are also a great way to waste a lot of hours on facebook. Just sayin’.
We like TED because — well, who wouldn’t. Something for everyone.
Do you have a favourite?
We’ve shared ours, now we’d love to hear your favourite Facebook pages. Let us know over on our very own Author Unlimited page.
Cathy Presland
Editor-in-Chief
authorunlimited.com
I’d love to know your favourite pages. Let us know — here on facebook — or any social media channel!
