Do you own a business? Even a small one? Do you have a side gig or a hobby you are trying to make some money off of? Or even a non-profit that you are passionate about to make the world a better place? Then you probably realize that you need to be on social media. But don’t just rely on your personal social media accounts to promote your business or cause. You need official social media pages. And the very first one to create should be a Facebook business page.
Why Facebook? They have 1.82 billion daily active users. That’s a lot of people, more than other social media players. In this post, we’ll walk you through the process to create your first Facebook Business Page. By the end, you’ll see how it will help you get results in terms of sales and brand awareness.
Table of Contents
How Is a Facebook Business Page Different From a Personal Page?
Facebook Business Pages are public-facing Facebook accounts that allow local businesses, big name brands, nonprofits, and public figures to engage the public. They are usually open to the public so that even those without a Facebook account, or who are using a public device, can access them.
On a business page, you’ll be able to publish content about your business, showcase products, mention upcoming events, share positive user-generated content, highlight employees, post job or internship openings, take polls gathering people’s opinions or feedback, and much more. A Facebook Business Page will also give you access to Facebook’s advertising platform and Facebook Shops. You can’t create Facebook Ads or use Facebook Shops unless you have an official Business page.
How to Create a Facebook Business Page
Facebook Business Pages are easy to set up. It will take a few minutes to get the basics running and just about an hour to make it look good.
Create a Page
You must have a Facebook personal page to create and manage business pages. That can be hard for those who have opted out of using Facebook for personal reasons. But remember that your personal Facebook page can be basically empty. You just need a personal page to start. Once you are logged into your personal page, click “Pages” in the left-hand menu, and “+ Create New Page.” Then enter your business name, up to three categories that describe what your business falls under, and a short bio of your business. When you’re done, click “Create Page”.
Add Your Pictures
Next, upload a profile picture and cover photo for your new Facebook Business Page. Your profile photo is the image that appears near your business name. Your cover photo is the image that stretches across the top of your Page. These images have certain dimensions, but Facebook will allow you some opportunity for resizing and/or cropping. When you’re happy with your profile and cover photos, click “Save.”
Images and videos often matter more online than words. So again, if you don’t know what makes a catchy Facebook visual, reach out to us. We always edit photos and videos to give them that extra special sauce. If photo and video editing aren’t in your skill set, hiring third-party vendors to at least get you started will pay off in the long run.
Edit Your Page Information
Now, you should add your business details, like your company’s address, website, contact information, and hours of operation. You do this by clicking the gray “Manage” button near the top of your Page. Then scroll to the “Set Your Page up for Success” menu on the following screen. To add details, simply click the “Provide Info and Preferences” section.
To set your username, which is your Page’s URL, click your account icon in the top right corner of your screen. Choose “Settings and Privacy,” then “Settings” in the drop-down menu. Click “Edit” in the username section and choose a custom username for your Page. This should be your business name. If the name is taken, consider adding another detail about your business, like the city you are in.
Next, add an action button. Action buttons make it much easier for customers to call you, book a service, or complete some other activity. To do this, go to the bottom of the “Provide Info and Preferences” section. Click “Add Button.” Then choose the action. People don’t like to “think” online. Make action easy with clickable buttons.
Make Your First Post
Before you invite your audience to follow you on the platform, take a few minutes to populate your page with a few posts. They don’t need to be long, but they should always include a photo and/or video. If you don’t have your own photos to share of you or your products, you may want to consider our custom photography packages. Studies have proven that text with images for every 100 words has double the share rate on social media.
Here are some other for what you can post on your page:
- Product photos
- A post introducing your business on social media
- Video demonstrations
- Behind-the-scenes videos or images
- Funny memes
- Links to written content about you or by you
Keep posting these kinds of things, and experiment with new stuff like polls and podcasts, on a regular basis.
To create your first post, go to your page and click on the box that asks “What’s on your mind?” Then write into the pop-up box. Posts that are text-only rarely get shared. So add a video, picture, or something visual. When your post is done, click the blue “Post” button at the bottom of the pop-up window.
Invite Your Potential Clients, Friends, and Family
Now that your Facebook Business Page has content, invite your personal Facebook friends to follow your new Page. All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of the “Set Your Page up for Success” and click “Introduce Your Page.” Then click the “Invite Friends” button. Then follow the simple steps.
You should also post your new Facebook Business Page to your other personal social media profiles. Add your URL to the bottom of your email signature. Email your friends, family, and any current clients and ask them to give you a follow. You can also add “follow us” logos to any website you have.
Now Check Out Other Facebook Digital Marketing Tools
Your new Facebook page isn’t the only thing Facebook has to offer to businesses. These are other tools they provide that you might want to utilize.
Facebook Messenger
With Facebook Messenger, you can provide customer service and handle inquiries. You can even enable auto responses. The responses can handle basic questions, or just tell people you’ll get back to them.
Facebook Ads
Advertising with a Facebook Ad can be a great way to drive specific customers to your Facebook Business Page. From there, they can visit your website and purchase goods or make further inquiries. You can choose exactly the types of people and backgrounds you want seeing your Facebook Ads. Ads can be managed in Facebook Business Manager. That will tell you which ads were productive for your business, what keywords or interests they came from, and related keywords.
Boosting a Post
Sometimes, popular Facebook posts will appear in Google search results. Over the years, Facebook has changed its system to limit what is called “organic reach” of your posts. That’s why some companies “boost” posts.
There’s a fee to do it, but boosting a post will guarantee that more of your community will see your posts. Your feed may also appear in “look a like” pages that may not be current followers of your company. You can spend as little as $5 to boost a post.
Connect With Other Pages
Facebook is a social network. So play the game and be a follower if you want people to follow you. You can follow other businesses that relate to your own, other local businesses, and influencers. Also, make sure you like and comment on posts from these pages. Doing so will build an online community around your business.
Get Started With a Facebook Page
Whether your business already has a presence on Facebook or you have just started, you can connect with your consumers on a whole new level. Facebook, like any social media platform, can let you update customers and potential customers on sales, new products, or upcoming events. When it comes to advertising on Facebook, you can do all of this while also reaching out to those beyond your initial followers.
If you need help with any of the steps we discussed here, reach out to SEO Design Chicago. No matter what you are hoping to accomplish with the platform, we can help get you going in the right direction. We look forward to helping you!
FAQ:
- How are Facebook business pages different from personal pages?
- Why should I create a business page on Facebook?
- How many people use Facebook?
- What is boosting a post?
- Why should I connect with other pages on Facebook?
Contact Us Today!