Facebook boasts more than 800 million members worldwide, of which 50% of their active users log on to Facebook on any given day. But yet, there is some hesitation for small business to set up a presence and if they have, they unfortunately make a number of mistakes. The fact that I feel a little old-hat for just blogging about Facebook basics indicates the massive phenomenon that is Facebook and the world-wide commentary it receives. I’m certainly not going to touch on why you should start a page for your business, if you don’t know already I doubt I can convince you. But what I will do is leave you with ten points that I consistently see missing from (or wrong with) business pages. FACEBOOK PAGES ARE DIFFERENT TO FACEBOOK GROUPS So many small busiensses make the mistake of setting up a Facebook Group instead of a Facebook Page. They are similar but I strongly suggest you create a page. Even if you have a group with fans, create a page and ask them to ‘like’ the new page as you’re going to cease the group. Basically, a page will give you more options across the board including more interaction, better advertising options, ability to build a larger community and so much more. CLAIM YOUR URL If you’re going to make the most of your Facebook page then you need to promote it offline and without a custom URL this is going to be a little tough. So get to 25 likes and claim your own Facebook URL. But try and make it simple and easy for your customers to remember. OPTIMISE YOUR PROFILE PICTURE Many business pages just use the standard logo as a profile picture, not utilising the specs available. Certainly you are restricted to 180 pixels wide but you have as much room as 540 pixels high so use it. By utilising the entire space you can make a greater impact upon new visitors and this may just encourage them to press the ‘Like’ button. BUILD A CUSTOMISED LANDING PAGE When a new visitor reached your Facebook page they will see your Wall and the recent conversations. This might be enough to convince people to ‘Like’ your business but it may not. Build a customised landing page that is unique from all the other Facebook pages people see and with this page new visitors will need to ‘Like’ your page to continue. It’s a great conversion tool. Try Pagemodo for this, they have a few different templates that are easy to use. TALK LIKE THEM Facebook is not a sales brochure, it’s not a written proposal, it is the opportunity to facilitate a conversation and build a community around your business. So join in the conversation by talking like your fans. They need to feel like they have as much ownership over the page as you and this won’t be achieved by putting on a sales pitch or talking down to people. ENCOURAGE INTERACTION Don’t just use...
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