Facebook Pages can be useful marketing tools for your small business - but before you can use them, first you need to know how to create them! Here's a quick guide to get you started.
At the bottom of your screen when you are logged into Facebook, you'll see the link to click:
Through the next series of screens, one of which is pictured below, you will select the type of business, enter your firm's information, and upload an image (perhaps of you personally if you are a private consultant, or an image of a company logo), invite your personal friends (if anyone is relevant) to "like" the page, and fill out your company's basic information (what you do and your website URL):
Once you have your basic page created, you can tailor it however you want. Facebook provides helpful guides. After you enter the initial details in the prior step, you'll be taken to your new Page:
If you have not done so already, you can follow steps 1 through 5 to add the image that will be seen in the top left-hand corner, invite your personal friends who may be relevant to "like" the Page, import an e-mail contact list to ask customers and associates to do the same, post a first "status update" to your Wall, and add a "like" box on your company's website.
Next, take a look at the template options below the image in the upper left-hand corner. You can click on each one to be taken to a section of the Page, like:
- Wall - Where you place company announcements (just like you would do for a personal Facebook update) - welcome people to the Page, announce a sale, post items like company blog posts, and so on
- Info - An area where you can enter more-detailed information about your company including a full description, hours of operation, your address, and so on
- Photos - You can upload photos of products, awards, staff members, and anything else that comes to mind
After you have completed all of these items, you will have your company's own Facebook Page! Congratulations! However, this is only the beginning. The important thing is to know how to use your Facebook Page. And that will be the topic for our next post!