So, you want to create a Facebook Business Page? That’s smart. With over 2 Billion Users worldwide, you’d be foolish not to take advantage of the FREE marketing opportunity.
That’s right; we said free.
Creating a Facebook Business Page is a free service, all it takes is your time and effort, and you’re off to the races. But, before you line up at the gate foaming at the mouth, creating a page for your business does take a bit of work. From photos, to business info, to a regular posting schedule, don’t expect to click “Sign-Up” and be done with it.
7 Steps to Creating a Facebook Business Page
Step 1 – Creation
To have a Business Page, you have to create it with Facebook.
To get started, go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/creation/ and be ready with the following items:
- Page Name
- Business Category
- Address (you do have the option of not showing it, but you need an address to create your page).
From there, click Continue and voile! Your Facebook Page is in existence (though it’s looking a little bare).
Step 2 – Profile Picture
Just like your personal page, you need a profile picture on your business page. This can be a version of your logo like on Exposure One’s Facebook, or it can be an image of the owners, like on Note Investor’s Page.
Just keep it something that fits into the circle area and is relevant to your business — you want people to quickly know who is sharing, commenting, and interacting with them.
Step 3 – Cover Image
Now onto the Cover Image!
The cover photo is often the first thing that visitors will see, appearing at the very top in both desktop and mobile views. So, it’s crucial.
Your cover art can be either an image or video — Facebook gives you a choice. However, they are quite strict in their ideal photo/video sizes, and it changes for screen sizes.
On a desktop, cover art displays at 820 pixels x 312 pixels. On mobile, Facebook Business cover art displays at 640 pixels x 360 pixels. Facebook recommends a size of 720 pixels x 315 pixels to fit both sizes the best.
For info, we recommend incorporating the following items on an excellent graphic, image, or video:
- Business Name
- Website URL
- Tagline
- Logo
Keep in mind that the edges will automatically be cut off in mobile, so when designing, keep the information to the center of the graphic, so it’s viewable on all screen sizes.
Step 4 – Add Your Business Details
The more, the merrier! You want folks to have no questions about who you are when they wander into your About Section. Your Facebook Business Information should include:
- Page Username – Facebook will give you a long Username when you first create your page. Shorten it so it’s easier and gives you a cleaner URL. For example, we changed ours to @ExposureOne giving us the url https://www.facebook.com/ExposureOne and making it easy for folks to 1) find us and 2) tag us!
- Business Description (maximum 255 characters) – note this is what will appear in search results
- Business Categories
- Contact Information – phone number, website, address, email, etc.
- Location – if there is no physical store, you can set this not to show publicly.
- Hours
- Your Story – add an image and the tale of your company to let Facebook Users know your story
Step 5 – Update Your Facebook Template
Facebook offers several templates for Business Pages that you can choose from — or create your own.
When it comes to setting your Tab order, think about 1) which tabs you will use the most (if you don’t have a Shop Page, don’t use it or put it first) and 2) what your objective with Facebook is (do you want to connect or get people to attend more events or sell more items).
Step 6 – Invite Your Friends
Once created, you have the option of inviting your friends (connected with your Personal Facebook Page) to like your Facebook Business Page. This is an opportunity you should take advantage of, after all, what are friends for!
The more folks who like and interact with your page, the better. Facebook takes notice, and organically shows your page your followers’ friends with similar interests thinking it will be something they want to be a part of.
So, invite away!
Step 7 – Start Posting to Your Facebook Business Page
Now that your Business Page is in existence and is looking good, it’s time to get posting.
And regularly.
Sporadic postings every few weeks or months doesn’t get you anywhere. When it comes to gaining traction and interaction, consistency is vital. At a minimum, you should be posting weekly with the goal of posting 3-5 times per week as content becomes available.
So, what is this post-worthy content? And where can you find it? You should be posting:
- Articles and Blogs from Your Website
- Fun Photos You’ve Snapped During the Work Day
- Business Announcements (like specials, changes in hours, or upcoming events)
- Customer Posts or Images (with their permission)
- Industry Related News Articles
- Local Community Announcements (social media is about building a community after all)
And remember, you want your followers to engage with you, so post engaging content. Everyone hates being talked at, and that includes on Facebook. Ask questions with your content, make it interactive, and make it enjoyable!
Social Media Marketing Services
Having a Facebook Business Page is a great marketing opportunity for your business. Not only is it free, but it also offers an interactive platform to build a community and a loyal customer base.
