Lately, some of my clients have been asking about Facebook and how to utilize it in the promotion of their small business, so I thought I would share a couple tips for those who aren’t as familiar with fan pages and how to create them.
What is a fan page?
A Facebook fan page is a public profile that enables you to share your business and products with Facebook users. You can have a public fan page that is viewable by everyone while keeping your personal page private – all from one Facebook login.
How do I create a fan page?
First, go to www.facebook.com and sign into your account. If you do not have one yet, sign up – it’s free! Next, there are 2 easy ways to get to the place where you can create your fan page.
1. Go to Facebook’s Create a Page page.
2. While viewing any fan page, scroll to the bottom and look in the bottom left corner for the “Create a Page for My Business” link. Clicking this link will take you to the Create a Page page linked above.
Next, choose the correct category for your business, write the name of your business, and then certify that you are authorized to create the fan page by checking the box and signing your name electronically. You must use your full Facebook name (i.e. if you use your maiden name in your Facebook name, you must type that in your electronic signature).
Now you have a fan page for your business! And now you can use the “Suggest to Friends” link (under your photo in the left sidebar) to invite your friends to become your first fans.
What is the benefit of having a fan page?
The first point that comes to my mind is accessibility. I have visited websites where there is a link to the company’s Facebook page, but really it’s a link to the person’s personal page. I get frustrated and disappointed when the link leads to their personal Facebook page that is set to private. I have no problem with the page being set to private as I have mine that way, too. My disappointment comes from wanting to know more about the business, but not wanting to send a friend request because I don’t really know this person and I don’t necessarily want them seeing my personal Facebook page. However, if people set up fan pages for their businesses, it allows the general public to view information about their products and services while still keeping their personal information and photos private.
The other benefit of having a fan page for your business is exposure. Social networking is very useful in getting your name/brand “out there.” You can link your Facebook fan page to your Twitter account and your Wordpress website and more. If you keep your page fresh and new, you will give customers a reason to come back again and again. And hopefully they will share your products and services with their friends!
Do you have a fan page?
I sure do! I must confess, though, that I just created it while writing this post, so I haven’t taken the bubble wrap off yet. I do plan to develop the page and make it more interactive and visually appealing in the near future. Take a look – and if you want, become a fan!
