Techblog
QUICK TIPS: Setting up a Facebook page for your business
As more and more consumers like you and I are getting onto Social Networking sites such as Facebook, it creates an opportunity for businesses to connect with them on a more intimate level.
With more than 800 million users, it's probably the largest marketing database in the world.To reach out to your existing customers and potential new customers, you should start with creating an official company page where you can post content, interact with other users and integrate into your marketing campaign.
There are a couple of resource pages within Facebook that can give you more details on how to set up your company Facebook page, and we’ve listed some of the key points here for your quick reference.
"Facebook Pages are for organizations, businesses, celebrities, and bands to broadcast great information in an official, public manner to people who choose to connect with them. Similar to profiles (timelines), Pages can be enhanced with applications that help the entity communicate and engage with their audiences, and capture new audiences virally through friend recommendations, News Feed stories, Facebook events, and beyond."
1.To start, you can visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php to create a page.
2. Select from one of the options
- Local business or place
- Company, organization or institution
- Brand or product
- Artist, band or public figure
- Entertainment
- Cause of community
3. If you select "Company, organization or institution", you need to select a category that best relates to your business, and enter the name of your company. Check on the "agreement" box and click "Get Started".
4. They will then prompt you whether you have a Facebook account or not. You can choose to use your existing personal account to manage the page, or create a new one for work.
5. Once you're logged in, you will be asked to upload a profile picture. This is where you can post a picture of your company logo, or a product that you’d like to feature. Alternatively, you can skip this and do it later.
6. You will next be asked to invite friends or import contacts through a variety of options - Windows Live Messenger contacts, Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo!, Skype or other tools.
7.You will then be asked to fill in some basic information about the page. If you have a company website, fill in the URL here. Then write a short description of what the page is about.
8.And you're done! You can now fill in the various sections to give more details about your business, share news, even get the "Like" button that you can integrate onto your existing corporate website. There's an "Edit page" button on the top right of the page that gives you more options to administer your page.
Now that you have your Facebook page set up, you should think about how you can incorporate the Facebook page as part of your marketing channels. Many businesses have used Facebook pages as the centre of an advertising or marketing campaign, as well as a long-term customer engagement channel for feedback.
If you can dedicate the resources, do make sure that there are regular posts and activities on the page so that your followers are updated and maintain a higher level of engagement. Remember, this page represents your company, not yourself. All messages going out through the page represents your business, and cautious should be exercised when deciding what is posted on the page. If there are negative comments, respond to them in a professional manner. A recent Facebook incident involving a seafood product distributor and a local supermarket chain proves that such mistakes can have highly detrimental repercussions.
Here are some resources for your reference:
Facebook pages: Creating, administering and editing your page - https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=168617716530627
Set up your company Facebook page in 8 easy steps - https://www.facebook.com/notes/zach-browne/set-up-your-company-facebook-page-in-8-easy-steps/390097811748
Facebook advertising - https://www.facebook.com/advertising/?pages