If you’re reading this article, either you know that you need to get a Facebook Fan Page and don’t know how to get it going, or you have no idea why your business even needs a Facebook Fan Page. First, let’s start with the basics.
Why you want a Facebook Fan Page for your business
Facebook now has over 400 Million active users (users that have returned to the site within the last 30 days). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in July of 2009, the United States had 307 Million people. So, Facebook is actually bigger than the United States at this point, by almost 100 Million people. That is staggering information folks. Not to mention that Google ranks Facebook Fan pages highly in searches, and they are free!
So, you’re going to tell me you already have a personal profile page on Facebook. That’s not what I’m talking about. Your personal profile is for you, but your business can’t have a profile. Your business needs a Facebook Fan Page, where personal profiles can become Fans of your business on the Fan Page. When a person becomes a Fan of your business, they automatically see your posts in their Facebook feed every day (assuming you post something in your Fan page every day). It’s a constant reminder for these people that you exist, that you have good content to share with them, and they should invite their friends to be Fans too!
What can you put on your Facebook Fan Page?
1. Company overview
2. Website and contact information
3. Videos
4. Blog RSS feeds
5. Twitter updates
6. Company news
7. Events
8. Discussion boards
9. Photos
10. Promotions
11. Reviews
How do I create a Facebook Fan Page for my business?
Log in to your Facebook account. If you don’t already have a Facebook account, you can easily set one up at Facebook.com. Once you are logged in, scroll all the way to the bottom and click on Advertising. The click on Pages, and then click on Create a Page. It’s going to ask you the type of business you have (it could be a local business, a brand/product/organization, or an artist/band/public figure).
Facebook will then let you upload your company logo, RSS blog feeds, videos, photos, and other information you want to put on your Fan Page. Fill out as much information as you can possibly put down.
How do I jazz up my Facebook Fan Page?
In order to create a place that people want to come back to, add some applications to your Facebook Fan Page. You can do that by going here: http://www.facebook.com/apps/directory.php
You’ll see a list of categories on the left, and then you can scroll through the applications on the right. Some popular ones (in the business category) are Social RSS (to bring in your feeds from Blogs or Twitter), Promotions, and YouTube Videos. Look through all the available applications and see which ones your users would get some value from.
Now that I have my Facebook Fan Page, how do I get fans?
People can become Fans of your Facebook Fan Page, but only if they know about it. Start with your base of friends on Facebook. Invite all of them to be Fans of your business, and then ask them to ask their friends to be Fans as well. Contests are a great way to get new fans. If you have a free promotion or giveaway, you can make one of the requirements to be a “Fan” of your Facebook Fan Page. Put a Facebook Fan Page button on your website to let your customers know they should be a Fan as well. Put the link out on your Twitter account, put the link our on emails to your customers, put the link on your blog posts. It should be on your business cards too!
How do I build a community on my Facebook Fan Page?
Be sure to post on a regular basis (I post at least 5 times per week), and encourage discussions. Post things that are sure to get a written response. Ask questions. Ask what you can do to improve your product. Give Facebook Fans a special discount for being a fan. I like to put funny videos and funny pictures, that is typically the type of thing that my fans will share with their friends, and that’s how I get more fans to my page. Keep on top of your new leads. If you continue to develop this community, you will find more and more new leads coming from Facebook. Facebook will even give you statistics on the demographics of your Fans, who is interacting with your posts, and graphs to show your progress. This, in conjunction with your Twitter page, can be a huge source of leads for your business!
Michael Ayalon
Online Pet Marketing Specialist
516-690-PET1
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