Facebook is not new, and neither is the idea that if you have a business, you need a Facebook page. Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform around, with 1.56 billion daily active users. Globally, the average user spends almost an hour per day on Facebook. That’s a lot of potential time users could look at your brand!
So, how can you use Facebook to benefit your business? Facebook Pages are the “gateway” for businesses to market to users. A Facebook Page is very similar to a personal profile but allows users to “like” the business, brand, cause, or organization. Then, fans receive updates from the page on their feed, while the business can collect audience insights, chat with potential customers, and raise brand awareness.
How to Set Up a Facebook Page
Let’s start at the very beginning and walk through the setup process of creating a Facebook page for your business.
- Create a Page
The (obvious) first step is to create your businesses’ profile page. To get started, go https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/, choose Business or Brand, and categorize it appropriately. Choose the name and URL for your page wisely! Now, let’s get started!
- Add Photos
The next step to give your Facebook profile an identity is to add a profile picture. This will serve as the primary visual for your page, appearing in search results and alongside any of your content. Choose a photo that is 180 x 180 pixels. Your image will need to be square or they will prompt you to crop it. Your profile picture is your first impression, so be sure to choose something immediately recognizable, like your logo.
Next, add a cover photo. The cover photo is the large, horizontal image that spans the top of your page. You can update it often based on specials, campaigns, or seasons. The official dimensions of a cover photo are 851 x 315 pixels. However, if your photo is not exact, you’ll have the option to drag to reposition the photo. Finally, be sure to press “Save” when you are finished.
- Add A Description
Next, you need a description to let your audience know what your business is all about. Click “Add a Short Description” under “Welcome to Your New Page” to get started. Add one to two sentences about your business. This description will appear both on your Page and in search results, so keep it descriptive and show your brand’s personality.
- Create A Username for Your Page
Your last step on the welcome menu is to create a username for your Page. Your username will appear in your custom Facebook URL to help people easily find and remember your Page. You have 50 characters of space to use.
- Add a CTA (Call To Action)
In December 2014, Facebook introduced a feature to allow pages to include a call-to-action button at the top of the page. To create one, click “+ Add a Button” below your cover photo. You can choose from an array of choices depending on what you want your customer to do. You can lead the CTA to your homepage, Messenger, a landing page, a video, and many other places.
- Verify Your Page
Have you ever noticed a tiny gray or blue check-mark next to the names of some businesses and brands? Depending on how you categorized your page, you could be eligible for a verification badge. A blue badge means Facebook has confirmed an authentic page for a public figure, media company, or brand. On the other hand, a gray badge means Facebook has confirmed an authentic page for a business or organization. A verification badge is not necessary, but it adds a sense of authority to your page and business.
To ensure you’re eligible, confirm that your page has a profile picture and cover photo. Go to “Settings” > “General”. There you’ll find “Page Verification” where you can enter your publicly listed phone number, country, and language. You’ll receive a call with a verification code.
How To Get Likes
You want your Facebook page to be successful. To do this, you need likes. A “like” is how a user intentionally sees updates from your business in their News Feed.
Avoid Buying Likes
Buying likes may seem like a quick and easy way to make your business look credible. Beware of this. Where do these likes come from? Companies that sell likes usually use click farms, fake accounts, and even compromised accounts to reach a promised number. That means it’s unlikely that the users who like your page will ever actually engage with your content.
The Facebook algorithm looks at engagement rates, not your number of fans. Over time, the number of fans with the lack of likes and comments can prevent your content from being seen. Additionally, Facebook monitors this type of behavior. Because of this, your page could get shut down without warning.
So What’s The Right Way To Get Likes?
If you have taken the time to fill out the “About” section of your page thoroughly, this should happen naturally. Don’t overstuff it with keywords, but include an overview of what your business offers, proper categories, and a link back to your website. Here are some other great ways to promote your Facebook page.
- Share it with your network.
If you’re building a Page from scratch, consider sharing it with people you’re already connected to on Facebook. From your page’s main screen, check out the section titled “Know friends who might like your Page?” As you choose contacts, be cautious about over-promoting to people you know won’t be interested. Spammy Facebook marketing does more harm than good.
- Invite your colleagues to like your page.
Encourage them to share it with their own Facebook friends or include the unique link in their email signatures. Employees in departments like sales, customer service, or HR who consistently email people outside your business are often a great fit.
- Be active!
The best way to gain page likes is to build an engaging community. Post helpful or entertaining content that your followers will want to like and share. Respond to messages quickly and interact with comments on your posts. Have you ever noticed some Pages have a green badge saying they’re “very responsive to messages”? If you’ve received a 90% response rate and an average response time of under 15 minutes over the last seven days, you too can earn this badge.
- Share your page through your website.
Promoting your page doesn’t end on Facebook. Include social media follow buttons on your website and blog to make it easy for your audience to connect with you on Facebook.
- Share your page with your customers and email contacts.
There are many creative ways to let your customers know you have a Facebook presence. Place a Facebook sticker with your Page’s name in the front window or include the custom URL on your receipts. Ecommerce businesses can do likewise. Don’t forget a Page link in your email marketing, whether it’s receipts, product suggestions, content updates, or customer service messages.
- Promote your page on other social media channels.
Sharing your page from your other social media accounts is another option, but be sure that you do it sparingly. You don’t want to annoy the Twitter or LinkedIn audience you’ve worked so hard to build.
Final Thoughts
We’ve only scratched the surface of what you can do with a Facebook business account. Stay tuned for so much more! If you are ready to get a Facebook strategy for your business, give us a call today at 314-537-7974.
