10 Feb 10 Tips for a Business Fan Page

With close to 1 billion users on Facebook, chances are very good your customers are part of this statistic.  If you haven’t climbed on the bandwagon, it’s time.  There are so many different social media platforms out there from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pininterest (and yes, there are more) that picking which platform is right for your business can be overwhelming to say the least.  So I say, let’s pick one for now and go with the biggest.
It’s important if you are a business to have a professional presence on Facebook.  This is obviously different from your personal Facebook page.  The language alone can be confusing.  Your personal Facebook page is called your “profile” and your professional Facebook page is called, well, your “page”.  With your personal profile you have “friend requests” whereas with your professional page you ask for the “like.”
There is so much to know and learn about Facebook but let’s stick with the basics for now. I grabbed the below tips from directsitesonline.com.au and provided elaboration.
1. Get a Vanity Facebook URL: In simple terms, this is a Facebook page with your business name.  You will need  25 “likes” on your Facebook page. Once you have your “likes” go to https://www.facebook.com/username/ and you will see an option to give each of the pages you administer its own vanity URL. Choose a Vanity URL as close to your business name as possible. You really only get one shot at this so choose your Facebook business name wisely.  For example, my Facebook page is www.facebook.com/RandiShermanMarketing.  I picked this long before I created my business name, The Social Calling.
2. Have a Welcome page: You may have seen some Facebook pages (feel free to look at mine) that when you click the “Like” button you receive a special offer or free useful information. Welcome pages are important because it allows the visitor to stay on your page longer and learn more about you and your business. Welcome pages can do much more (e.g. have an email opt-in, to be able to send them information about future events, etc.) so there are tons of ways to be creative and keep people engaged.
3. Look for Quality Likes: There are tons of Facebook voyeurs out there that just go around “liking” people’s pages so they can get the “like” back.  It’s not meaningful and they don’t care about the product or service you’re providing.  Don’t be fooled by someone who has 1,000 likes but underneath it you don’t see anyone “talking” about it.  I’d rather see 100 likes on your FB page with 30 people talking about it vs. 1,000 likes where no one is talking about it.  Hope that makes sense.
4. Tag your Page: When you “like” someone’s business page where you have a sincere interest, write a post on their wall and be sure to include the @yourbusinessname. This will automatically become a clickable link so other people on this business page can see who you are and might click your page.  Be sure to make a positive comment that has some substance (not just “hi”).  For example, “Hi Betsy” thank you for stopping by @the socialcalling. I love some of the classes you are offering, especially the brazillian wax class.”  Hopefully they will drop by your page and like you back. If you build a relationship with them, don’t forget to post information (e.g. specials/promotions) on their wall as well.  Don’t do it if you haven’t established a relationship because they can easily hide or delete your post.
5.Post a Status Update: I am totally bad at this one but it’s important.  Don’t forget about your friends.  Periodically post an update on your “personal” profile about what’s happening with your business. Example, “Been busy with @thesocialcalling lately. Drop by and check out what I’ve been up to.”
6. Promote Via your Website: If you have a website, be sure to add social widgets to enable people to like your Facebook Page directly on the site.  I have a one page website so it takes people directly to my FB page, but it’s even better to have them stay on your site and still “like” your page.
7. Put your Facebook URL on your marketing material: This includes your shop window, business cards, flyers, email signatures – whatever platforms you use to promote your business.
8. Don’t spam: The easiest way to get people to hide you from their newsfeed is if you constantly post irrelevant updates.  And showing up in someone’s newsfeed is key in Facebook engagement.  Promote your specials and share relevant content, such as blog posts from your website, links to articles about your thing, and questions that challenge your likers. This sets you up as a subject matter expert, and when one of your likers wants your thing, they will remember you as someone who was helpful and interesting. And if you are selling a product make sure you upload top quality pictures – and don’t share the album till there are all uploaded, there’s nothing worse than someone clogging a newsfeed with one picture after another. And you will get “unliked”.
9. Don’t sweat the unlikes: Some people will go. Big deal, they probably weren’t a prospective customer anyway.
10. Track and evaluate: Facebook has a great “insights” tool (you will see it on the left side of your page) which will give you all sorts of statistics about what works and what doesn’t. Use it to develop further content.
Okay, so are you overwhelmed yet?  Don’t be.  That’s what I’m here for.  Sign up for my Newsletter and continue to receive social media tips to get your business SOCIAL!