I need to begin this post with a warning: Do not take Facebook for granted!
Facebook has become a formidable advertising platform in recent years, what with
its enormous number of users, post-boosting algorithms, and free fan and group
pages. The average small business owner can go onto Facebook and, in a few short
minutes, create a professional-looking online presence that would allow them to
reach hundreds and thousands of people beyond their current community. Here is
what you need to know to get started:
1) Create a Facebook fan page for your business or product.
Log onto your Facebook account and click on “Pages” above the pages section of the
bar on the lower left side of your news-feed. You will be redirected to your list of
“liked” pages, and on the top right side of the list there will be a button that says
“Create a Page.” Click on that, and you will be taken to the first step of the page-
making process. The steps are clear and easy, so I won’t go into them here, as they
will be apparent when you create your page. However, I will say that you may want
to choose a profile picture, cover photo, and business/product description that
clearly exhibits what you and your business are all about.
2) Take the time to become familiar with the different features of the fan
page.
Facebook has added several helpful features to their fan pages. When you first
create your page, or whenever they update the features, Facebook will give you the
option of taking a tour of those features. Pay special attention to the “Insights” and
Publishing Tools” tabs; they will help you to see things like the statistics of how
many people view, like, and comment on your content, and how you can “boost”
your posts to increase the likelihood of them being seen by a wider audience.
3) Invite everyone on your friends list to like your page.
After you set everything up, click on the “. . .” next to the “Message” button on the
bottom right side of your cover photo, and invite all of your friends to like your
page! You can work on getting traffic outside of your friends list later.
4) Consistently post quality, native content.
Post pictures, updates, etc. that you think are relevant and interesting to your
audience. Getting the hang of posting content that resonates with your audience can
be tricky, so I recommend subscribing to Facebook gurus like Gary Vaynerchuck and
Amy Porterfield to help you understand what kind of content you should be posting
to gain traction.
Now you are ready to rock out on Facebook!
