How to Setup Facebook for Your Small Business
Ok, so you’ve decided to setup Facebook for your small business. Great! Be sure to read through our previous post to ensure you have the background knowledge about the platform. In this post, we’ll discuss what we need to include in our Facebook to ensure success for our small businesses.
Pages vs. Groups
When we have a business, there are two types of presences that we can have on Facebook: Pages or Groups. These are a little bit similar. But because they are different types of presences, they have different features and uses.
Pages – Pages are the most commonly used option for business that want a profile on Facebook. As a page, you have a public profile where you can add posts as your page. Then, people can “like” your page. When they do so, they will receive updates on your posts. Pages are good for small businesses because they allow you to post updates and have a public profile. For instance, I created a page for my event planning business.
Groups – Groups are different in that the business does not have its own identity. Instead in a group, individual people are the ones who add posts. Also, people are added to a group instead of liking it. They then receive updates about it. Because of the nature of this, groups are good for building online. communities. Many bloggers and community organizations will set up groups to provide this community aspect. If I were to setup Facebook for Open Prospects, it would probably be a group so that we could all share posts with each other.
Setup Facebook for Your Small Business
When you set up a business page or group on Facebook, it is hosted through your personal account. You can then add additional managers and editors who are able to post on behalf of the page.
Profile Pictures – Like personal accounts, businesses can have profile pictures. This should be an image that can be recognizable as a thumbnail. Good options for profile pictures include logos or headshots.
Cover Photos – In addition to profile pictures, you can also add a cover photo. This cover photo will stretch across the top of your page as a banner. It is advisable to choose a photo that fits your brand, but that is not too busy visually.
Info – On your page or group you can include information about your business. You should fill this section out as thoroughly as possible. This is the area where you can explain what your business is and how it benefits people. Make it engaging and informative.
Call to Action – On a page, you also have the option of including a Call to Action button. You have the option to make the button do a few things. It may take the user to your website, send a message, or a few other options. Which is the best Call to Action for your business will determine on your goals for your Facebook activity. However, it is very important that you utilize the Call to Action button.
Custom URLs
Previously, Facebook automatically created a URL for your page. Now, you have the option to create a custom URL. So instead of being a confusing address, you can create an easy to find, searchable URL.
When choosing your URL, be careful. You are only allowed to change it once. So, whatever you change should be as perfect as possible. The best option is to choose one that fits with your business’s username on other social media. That way someone would easily be able to find your page.
Target Audiences
When you first setup Facebook, you have the option to select target audiences. These help Facebook know who to show your page to as a suggested page.
Hopefully, you already know who your ideal customer is. (If not, you should do that now.) Then, select the audiences available that best meet your buyer persona. This will allow your page to grow better organically.
This guide will allow you to setup an engaging Facebook page or group for your small business. Keep posting useful content, and your page will continue to grow. Let us know your best practices for setting up a small business Facebook.
