Set Up Your Facebook Page in 3 Easy Steps

Facebook’s marketing potential for businesses is high. With more than one billion users, the world’s #1 social network offers access to an incredibly diverse audience that spans multiple continents and includes individuals of all ages and interests. Therefore, it’s very likely that your customers and potential clients are Facebook users.

So it makes a lot of sense for marketers to have a Facebook strategy. Local businesses can use the social network to generate more foot traffic, national brands can build greater awareness, and even B2B companies can generate new leads.

In additon, Facebook advertising is quite powerful because marketers can target very specific types of users. For example, a local yoga studio can target young women between 20 and 35 years old in Spokane, Washington, who are interested in bikram or hot yoga.

To get started, marketers must create a Facebook Page for their business, which is easy to do. Here, I’ll walk you through the 4 steps to set up a basic page. In future posts, I’ll tell you how to use cover photos more effectively, what you need to know about assigning administrators for your page, and more!

Business Page vs. Personal Profile

The first thing you need to know is that there is a difference between a Personal Profile and a Business Page. Profiles are designed for individuals, with features and options that make connecting and engaging with friends easier.

By contrast, Business Pages provide options to help promotion and marketing. They offer ways to connect with more people and to advertise. But the big plus is that Business Pages provide analytics through Facebook Insights.

This measurement tool will tell you how well your page is doing, what kinds of posts reach more of your audience, and more. This is essential for your Facebook marketing campaigns, because you can’t improve your outreach without details about what’s working and what’s not.

If you are promoting “brand you,” it might seem logical to use your profile page to promote yourself. But, I recommend a Business Page instead. It separates your business from your personal, and a Page offers some technical advantages, such as allowing other people to act as administrators.

Still, if you prefer to use your personal profile, you can allow people to “follow” you, rather than add you as a friend. This helps separate your true friends from your business customers and prospects.

Here’s how to set up a Facebook Page for your business:

Step #1: Create a Page

There are two options for creating a Business Page: Set it up from your Facebook profile, or create a new account for your business. If you prefer the latter, log out of your profile, click “sign up” from the Facebook home page and then choose “create a page.” The disadvantage of separating accounts in this way is that you’ll have yet one more password to manage.

I prefer to administer my Pages from my personal profile. It’s easier to manage them in this way because I can toggle between accounts. Note that people who “like” your business page cannot see your personal profile. Administrators aren’t visible to fans.

To create a page from your personal profile, click on the dropdown menu in the top right hand corner of your profile, and choose “create a page.”

You’re then presented with six choices: Local Business or Place; Company, Organization or Institution; Brand or Product; Artist, Band or Public Figure; Entertainment; Cause or Community.

Local businesses are given more options to provide contact information. Add your address, hours, phone number, etc., so that potential walk-ins can find you easily. An address is especially important for location search. And customers can “check-in” to your business when they visit. This update is then shared with all of their friends, which boosts your visibility.

Once you’ve selected the option best for you, complete the information on the form, agree to the Facebook Page Terms and click “Get Started.”

Next, a wizard will walk you through adding the basic information about your business. You’ll need to have three key pieces of information: a short business description, your website URL (this is very important information to include on your page), and your profile picture.

If you’re starting this page for a business, you should upload your logo. But if you are your brand, upload a photo of yourself. Profile photos are displayed at 160X160, but must be at least 180X180 when uploaded.

Quick Tip: Facebook will automatically publish your page, so before you go further, unpublish it. This will allow you the time to tweak it until it looks nice before introducing it to the world. To unpublish, go to Edit Page, then Edit settings, and click Unpublish Page. When you’re satisfied that it’s ready, go back to this setting and publish the page.

Step #2: Complete Your Page Info

Now take the time to add a longer description and tweak your short description. Keep the short description to 155 characters or less, and be sure to include your website URL! This will show up under your profile photo and make it easy for fans to click through to your website. Also, include your keywords to help your search engine optimization. 

But here is the most important step in this process: Choose a unique Facebook Page address to make it easier for people to find your Page.

This is a URL that links directly to your Facebook page and can be used on all of your marketing. For example: www.facebook.com/mynewbusiness. But be careful to get it right the first time. Facebook shows no mercy. Once this is set, it can’t be changed. 

Step #3: Create a Cover Photo

The last step (for now!) is to upload a cover photo. Earlier this year, Facebook relaxed its “20% rule,” which stated that cover photos couldn’t include more than 20% text. Now, cover photos can include more text, which allows brands to run promotions more easily. Even so, you should aim for a clean, uncluttered image. Cover photos should be sized at 851 X 315.

That’s it! If you’re happy with the look of your page, publish it and post your first update!

Photo courtesy of carbonnyc via PhotoPin cc.