Chapter 3 : Setting up a business page

Business pages are similar to personal pages, but are by default, public. Users can like and become a “fan” of your page without requiring approval from page administrators. Once you are logged into Facebook, you can create a page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

Once you select the type of page you are looking to make, you can choose what category your brand falls into and your company name.

Facebook will walk you through three simple steps to get your page started.

1. Select a profile picture. Just like your picture in your personal account, this is the image people will see when searching for you. Use a clear image of your logo here.
2. The about section will appear below your logo on your business’s timeline/ homepage. Be clear here about what your business does. 
3. Enable Ads. Advertising your page can be very beneficial to your business. You can enable ads here, which will allow you to later go back and set up an advertising account. For a detailed description of creating Facebook ads, you can read, “How to Create Epic Facebook Ads.”

Edit Page 
To edit your page, click on edit page at the top within the “Manage Page,” or admin panel.

You are the administrator of your page. Your name will not appear anywhere on your business page unless you choose to post as yourself. By default, you will be posting as your business page name.

Page Administration
Once in the page administration, there are various things you can change to customize your page.

Manage Permissions
Here you can decide who can post what on your page, location and age restrictiions and post visibility.

Basic Information & Profile Picture 
Here you can edit the information about your company, including about, location, phone number, website and more. This information is helpful in case people want to contact you or visit your business. Remember, Facebook fans often become customers!

Tips for Optimizing Your Business Page Use

Apps
You can connect various apps to your business page. A few of these apps include Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. These apps allow you to connect your social media accounts, and other applications that may be
useful for your business.

How to Promote Your Page

Create Engaging Content

Post a variety of content, from photos and status updates, to videos, events, and polls. Ask your audience questions and have them post their answers in the comments section of your post. Not only does this engage your current fans, it will make the post visible in the newsfeeds of your fans, thus increasing your reach to their friends who may not yet know about you!

Post Content Worth Reading
This can range from blog posts you have written, to relevant content written by others in your industry.

Page Visibility

Let your audience in other networks know about your page. Add a “Like us” button in all emails and blog posts you generate.

Respond to Users

Respond to user questions and complaints. A user that posts a negative comment needs to be responded to quickly in order to decrease the negative affect they could have on your business. Remember, Facebook is public, and anyone can post something. The best thing to do is to handle negative comments in a polite manner and build a brand with a positive image.

Advertising 

Use Facebook ads for paid promotion. To increase the reach of your brand name, you can use Facebook ads to promote your content and your business page.

Groups
Groups on Facebook are slightly different than business pages. In some cases, it makes sense for a business to create a group as well. The main difference between a business page and a group is that pages represent a brand, while a group is a place for a community of people to discuss common interests. A group is essentially a page that is used as a chat room for a specific group of people. In a group, members can post all kinds of content just like on personal timelines and business pages

Once you have established yourself on Facebook, Facebook will recommend groups you should join that are related to your interests and the people you are friends with.

Key Differences Between Groups & Pages

Create a Group
To create your own group, click on “MORE” in the left menu under the “Groups” tab.

Click “Create a Group” at the top right.

You can then fill in details about the group and choose what privacy setting you want. If you group is for a business purpose, creating a closed or secret group will decrease the group’s rouch. Making an open group is therefore recommended. You can use groups to create events, invite friends to join, start conversations, add photos and more.