Benefits of starting a Facebook business page
Facebook is a popular option for business owners because it’s a user-friendly social media platform with a large reach. Some benefits of starting a Facebook business page may include:
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Online presence: Creating a Facebook account provides an online social media presence for your business. If you don’t have a business website, Facebook helps you establish your company online.
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Audience interactions: Interacting with followers, including current and potential customers, helps build relationships and brand loyalty.
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Wide reach: Facebook is a popular social media platform, presenting a large market opportunity for business owners.
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Versatility: You can advertise your products, create brand awareness, drive traffic to your website and interact with consumers through this platform.
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Advertising options: In addition to promoting your company through posts, you can run paid advertising through the social media platform. When you run Facebook ads, you can specify your target audience to make your advertising budget more effective.
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Business tools: The platform offers analytics tools for business users. This built-in data may help you improve how you use Facebook.
Related: Social Media Recruiting Tips and Strategies
How to create a company Facebook page
Consider these steps when starting a Facebook business page for your company.
1. Create a Facebook Account
If you don’t already have one, sign up for a personal Facebook account before setting up your business page—business pages are linked to personal accounts. Once you sign in to Facebook, click the Menu icon in the upper right-hand corner of your profile. Click the Page option to begin building your business page.
2. Create a page
After clicking the Page button, enter your page name and category into the template. For the category, start typing words that describe your company. Several related options may appear, letting you choose one that best fits your business.
The template also has a section for an optional bio where you can describe your business to potential customers. Once you enter the details, click the Create Page button at the bottom.
3. Add your business contact information
The next screen lets you enter details about your business, including your contact information and location. You can also enter your hours if you own a physical location that operates at certain times.
All these details are optional, but they give prospective customers important information about your business. Once you’re finished entering your details, click the Next button.
4. Add photos
On the next page, you can add profile and cover photos. The profile picture is smaller and indicates the owner of the business page. You can use a professional photo of yourself, but companies typically use their logo. The cover picture is a larger photo at the top of the page. You might use this banner to feature various products.
5. Add a call to action button
While you edit your photos, you can also edit a call-to-action (CTA) button. Facebook offers several options, including:
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Shop now
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Book now
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Contact
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See offers
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Learn more
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Use app
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Sign up
Choose the option that aligns with your business and social media goals. For example, if you’re trying to promote a mobile app for your business, you might choose the “Use app” button. If you want to increase sales, the “Shop now” option could help drive traffic to your e-commerce platform.
6. Invite people to follow
The next screen prompts you to invite friends to follow or like your page. You can send an invite to the friends you already have on Facebook to boost your followers right away. This step is optional, but it can help promote your page.
7. Adjust the settings
Going through the FB business page sign-up process creates your basic page. However, you can adjust your settings and change the information anytime through the Settings option in the upper right-hand corner.
The settings menu has several options, including page info, messaging, page roles and other essential functions for managing your business page. You can also control which notifications you receive. Look through the setting options and make adjustments when necessary.
8. Add a post
The next step is to create a post for your new Facebook business page. The first post could announce the business opening or tell people about the company and what they may learn from the page.
9. Create user engagement
To create user engagement for a new business page, consider these tips:
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Invite people to like the page. If you didn’t invite friends to like your page during the sign-up process, you can do so at any time using the “Invite” button. Facebook typically suggests your friends as your first invite options.
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Create contests that require people to engage with the page. To drive user engagement, create contests, such as a product giveaway, videos and quizzes. Live Facebook broadcasts also drive user engagement, as fans can interact with the business in real time.
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Use other options to ask people to follow your page. Tell your email list subscribers about the new business page. Use other social media channels to discuss and ask readers to follow your business page. You might also connect your official business website to the Facebook page. Facebook icons can be added to your website via share buttons.
Related: 15 Ways to Grow Your Business
Best practices for having an FB business page
It’s typically easy to start a Facebook business page, but building an engaged community takes time and intentional decisions. These best practices may help you create a successful company Facebook page:
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Use the analytics: Business pages offer data to help you tailor your content. Review the analytics regularly to see what posts do well and watch for changes in engagement.
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Develop a strategy: The analytics for your Facebook page can help you determine the best time to post or what content to create. Compile these details into a Facebook strategy to maximize your time on the platform.
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Create consistent guidelines: Social media policies and guidelines establish expectations for employees who post on your page. A written style guide can also ensure a consistent voice on social media.
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Develop a posting schedule: Consistent posting helps keep customers engaged. Create a social media calendar at the beginning of the month to plan topics and content.
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Assign roles: If multiple employees help with your Facebook page, assign specific roles to create consistency. One person might create and edit content, while another serves as a moderator.
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Reuse content: You can save time by reusing information across multiple platforms. If you write a blog post related to your industry, share a link and a short excerpt or quote on your Facebook page. If you also have an Instagram account, you might post an infographic from the blog post.
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Balance your posts: Provide value to your followers by sharing information that makes their lives easier. Varying your content keeps people coming back regularly. You could include product launches, behind-the-scenes videos, blog posts, job openings and interactive posts, such as polls or contests.
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Respond to your followers: Like and respond to comments on your page. Watch your messages to see if followers send questions or comments. You can also build engagement by sharing posts from other businesses or followers and being active on their pages.
Frequently asked questions about a company Facebook page
What is the difference between a business page and a Facebook account?
A Facebook account or profile is a personal account, and a Facebook page is for businesses and can be viewed by anyone on Facebook. People who discover your Facebook page can like or follow it to stay updated on each post. You can create multiple Facebook pages from a single Facebook profile.
Are there drawbacks to using Facebook for your business?
Facebook gives you less control than a website, as there are fewer options for customizing the platform to fit your needs. If you’re unfamiliar with social media marketing, learning how to run a successful FB business page can take time. However, you gain access to a broad audience.