Facebook Fan Page
You have been hearing about how your business needs to get ‘social’. You already have a personal Facebook page, but you’re wondering how to set up a Facebook Page for your business? Believe me, you aren’t the only one asking!
Before we begin discussing the steps to creating a fully functional Facebook Page for your business, it’s important that you keep one thing in mind: You will make mistakes. Not you might – you will. Every business has a different ‘feel’ to it that makes it unique. Maybe you will jump into the social business sphere and everything will go smoothly and easily – you will still make a mistake – but that’s okay. Don’t be afraid; yes, the internet has a long memory, but showing you are willing to try new things (this Facebook Page thing for instance) and making mistakes is part of the key to showing that your brand and your business is run by humans. Only humans can connect to other humans – a brand by itself, cannot. So – human good, mistakes okay, now we’re ready to go!
Facebook is Personal
You must have a personal Facebook account in order to create a Facebook Fan Page. (More evidence that you have to be human to connect.) If you don’t have one, get one; it’s free and easy to start (click here for a video that takes you through step by step.) You don’t have to have a million friends (or even two) before you can set up a Fan Page for your business, but you do have to be willing to have your name as an administrator on the business page. Why wouldn’t you want to promote your own business or brand? Don’t be afraid to stand behind (or in front) of your business and proudly declare, “I made this!”
Why the “Fan” Page
I know it says “fan” as if you are some eighties big-hair band with a bunch of groupies running around fainting when you look at them, but this is serious business. Who doesn’t want customers who are (fanatically) happy about your product or service? Especially one who wants everyone they know to see that they “like” your brand? This is the ultimate boost for any company, word of mouth, but with a viral spread attached! Think, if your brand or business could touch as many people as the flu, and help them out as much as the flu makes them sick?! It would be amazing – an epidemic of Fans of you! Think that might generate some brand awareness? We do, too.
Set It Up
If you are still reading, you are definitely on board for getting your Facebook FanPage set up! Let’s go:
- Login to your Facebook (personal) account.
- Scroll to the bottom of your News Feed page.
- In the footer, click on ‘Create A Page’
- Pick your type of business and fill in the information.
- Make sure to read the Facebook Pages Terms, then click Get Started.
Facebook will walk you through all your options for how you want to set up your Page from here.
Post Something
Post something, anything; it doesn’t matter what. Get yourself used to regularly posting as your brand. You can switch between your personal page and your fan page by going to your account (toward the top right) and either clicking “Use Facebook As Page” or “Switch back to “your name.” Find all your friends, and other businesses you like or frequent and “Like” their Facebook page (while you are using Facebook as your brand.) You won’t be walking into hundreds of fans right off the bat, but the more you post — and the better you become at communicating with the customers you have — the more fans you will acquire. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.