Okay, it’s about darn time that I do a post covering this absolutely critical topic – how to make a Facebook page. Hopefully any of you that thought Facebook was a fad or maybe would be going away have now realized that it’s here to stay, and businesses are using it to build their brands. Before delving-into the details of how to build a simple Facebook page I thought I would cover the first question that needs to be answered, why do you need a Facebook page?
First things first, Facebook pages absolutely do not replace webpages. No company is ditching their website and opting for a Facebook page so don’t think that this is competition for domains websites because it isn’t. Facebook pages are a way to easily provide updated content frequently to people who are fans of your brand. Yes, the term fan actually does make a lot of sense and that’s why Facebook called the people that like your page – fans.
Here’s a few examples of the difference in use between a Facebook page and a website:
- In Hollywood there is a Piano Bar that we really like which has live music every night. Their website has all the info about the venue, pictures, etc. The Facebook page is where I go to see which band is playing each night of the week. Since I’m a fan of the Piano Bar everyday when they post info about the band it shows-up in my main news feed so sometimes even when I’m not looking for it, this pops-up and if it’s a good band, may even inspire us to go on a night we weren’t planning on going.
- In Hollywood there are a number of clubs that we go to, yes we’re still young…I think, and I also think I can dance (okay, I can’t but don’t kill my dreams!). One of the clubs we like is Kress, they have a website with info about the club, pictures, map, etc. things you would expect a website to have. On their Facebook page they update who the DJ is and any specials they are offering.
- Peet’s Coffee is my favorite coffee shop on the planet, sorry Starbucks but your coffee tastes like mud! So I’m a legitimate fan of Peet’s, have been for a long time. Peets provides coupons and discounts all the time to fans, since I’m a fan of the brand I get rewarded. This would be hard to manage on the Peets website but makes a lot of sense for a Facebook page.
- I compete in Triathlons and Running events, they have websites with information about the events. Many of these events are now starting fan pages where they announce practices, discounts from partners, tips, etc.
Okay, hopefully these examples show how a Facebook page is both different than a website and valuable for a business to build their brand and connect with fans. Ready to get your hands dirty and build your own page? Follow-along and I’ll try to keep this as simple as possible:
How to Make a Facebook Page
- First login to Facebook
- Once you’re logged-in go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
- You will now see a screen like the one below:
- Next pick the category that your page most-likely falls-into
- Once you have done this your Facebook page will appear in front of you…but it will look pretty darn boring
- Start by uploading an image – it’s best to use your company logo in most cases
- After this you can click the “invite friends” button and begin building-up your fan-base
- You can then post a status update, I’d recommend posting a link to your site with a short call-to-action i.e. “Check-out our selection of Premium Domains” or “Learn more about our restaurant and how to make a reservation”
- Finally, the last step but still an important one is to add a “Like Box” to your website so that people who visit your site know you have a fan page
- One last optional step that I recommend in the beginning is creating a Facebook Ad to get more “Likes” on your page and expose more people to your brand
Congratulations! If you’ve followed the steps below you now have a shiny new fan page. You haven’t replaced your website but you have created an extension to your brand that can help you connect with more people. Stay-tuned as I will be doing a follow-up post in the coming weeks on how to create a custom page in Facebook and making your Facebook page even more interactive.
