You are here: Home / Website Services / Social Media / Facebook Business Guide

Facebook Business Guide

Facebook for Business

Facebook for business… not sure where to start or even if you should? Bookmark this article for your step-by-step guide to using Facebook.

Why Facebook?

Facebook is the biggest online social network with over 120 million active users and it’s still growing. It’s a great way to network and has become a powerful marketing tool for businesses.With a little time and effort it is possible to create a business identity on Facebook and in doing so build brand loyalty, establish your skills and expertise, interact with your customers and drive qualified leads back to your website… and it’s free!

 

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a Facebook Profile – http://www.facebook.com/

Facebook is about personal relationships so you will need to create a personal profile first using your real name.

In order to build a profile, upload a photo and enter business and contact information together with any extras. The more complete your profile, the better, as this will make it much easier to connect with other people. Facebook has customisable privacy settings so you can control who can view different sections of your profile.

Uploading your contact database will allow you to see all of your contacts that are already on Facebook and from here you can request them as a friend.

 

2. A Company Profile Page

Now your personal profile is in place a page can be created for your business. You can do this by clicking ‘Create A Page’ on Facebook to register yourself as a local business or company.

Your company Facebook page is a marketing tool and therefore needs to have consistent branding and send out a unified message in order to promote your business message effectively.

Follow the steps below to complete your company profile page:

  • Add company information, including contact details and your areas of expertise
  • Add a professional company image
  • Tell people about your page and build up your fan base
  • Share your news by posting status updates
  • Add a ‘Facebook like’ button to your website so visitors to your site can follow your page
  • Encourage people to ‘like’ your page in order to increase it’s visibility and allow people to keep up-to-date with your company news

 

3. Customize your Facebook URL (sometimes called a “vanity URL”)

Your company page will look more professional and memorable with a customized URL. Do it here - http://facebook.com/username and follow the instructions.

 

4. Making your status updates work

Status updates are the first thing that your fans and potential customers will see on their Newsfeed so it’s important that they stand out from the competition. Keep it interesting by adding videos, discussions, competitions, upcoming events, the latest blog post and interesting updates. They need to be regularly updated and tailored to your client base. Remember to talk to your fans like they are your friends… ask their opinions, share valuable information where appropriate and make them feel involved.

 

5. ‘Likes’ are needed

Building up your fan base increases your network and increases the visibility of your brand therefore allowing you to drive more traffic to your site or blog. Mutual contacts from your friends’ lists and using the ‘Find Friends’ tool are good ways to help expand your network. Replying to relevant comments in your Newsfeed will also lead to you being recognized in your field and therefore attract more fans.

 

6. Groups

Join groups or create one. Groups can be about anything and are only available to Facebook members. Being part of a relevant group increases your networking ability. Creating your own group allows you to not only be part of a shared interest but also increases your company’s presence. Joining groups allows interaction with your current and your potential customers and also contacts within your industry.

 

7. Reputation

Facebook is about connecting with people and building relationships. It is important to build your network and your reputation over time. Share information and provide value to your friends and fans.

 

Remember to keep your Facebook page social and interesting; build relationships and interact with your followers, be helpful and share useful information, keep the content fresh and add value. Keeping your fans engaged is an important component of any good Facebook strategy.

 

 

Share: