“How Do I Start a Facebook Fan Page?”
I get asked this question constantly from friends, associates, clients and co-workers so I thought it would be a good post for this blog. It will also prove to very handy the next time I get this question!
If you are thinking about setting up a Facebook Fan Page for your business, congratulations, you have just joined over 80% of business owners in your intent.
Facebook is the world’s leading social network, with over 450 million users and counting. No one else comes close.
Beyond personal networking, Facebook can be a powerful tool for brands, businesses and charities. Let these resources help you get the word out and engage your fans. This is just a “getting set up” blog. As with anything, you evolve as you grow. I would highly recommend integrating your social marketing efforts with your other marketing efforts. Cox Media Group does a great job with this and my team can help you take your efforts to the next level – just give us a call!
Facebook Pages 101
Page v/s Profile: I’m going to start basic for all the newbies..so first things first…are you even on Facebook? If not you have to first set up a personal profile. Facebook Pages are different than Facebook profiles. A profile is for you, Jane Doe, but your business can’t have a profile — it can have a page. This is important. If you don’t do it right, Facebook will find you and shut you down.
1. Go to www.facebook.com and set up a personal profile. If you are not the owner for the business fan page you are creating then have the owner set up an account or simply create a personal account for this purpose. If your administrative assistant sets your business fan page up under her personal account, guess what happens when she leaves?
2. Now, set up your page. Once you’ve set up your personal profile. Click or search for Ads or Pages. Set up your business account following the wizard. Facebook has a great help section if you get stuck. You can populate your page with info that relates to your business in one place with a built-in potential audience:
- Overview of company
- Website and contact info
- Press releases
- Videos
- Blog RSS
- Twitter updates
- Company news and status
- Customer interaction
3. Facebook Domain
Vanity domains are really helpful in directing people to your new FB fan page – ex: http://www.facebook.com/yourbusiness. Learn more about it here – http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=896
4. Creating the Perfect Profile Picture
Facebook specs recommend that profile pictures should be 200px wide, while height can vary as needed. What is less documented is how the thumbnail that Facebook uses across the system is generated from this picture.
You’ll find the system crops images when generating a thumbnail, losing information around the edge. After some initial testing, we’ve determined that there’s a “title safe” area within all images. So when you create your profile image that’s 200px wide, allow a 12 pixel border around crucial information (such as typography or a logo) to allow for automatic cropping. Also bear in mind that regardless of the shape of your profile image, Facebook thumbnails are square (with rounded corners), and sized based on the length of the shortest side of your image. So when designing rectangular profile pictures, make sure to keep your desired thumbnail imagery within a square boundary.
That’s it! You’re done creating your Facebook Fan Page for your Business. You will continue to tweak and add content as you get more comfortable, but don’t go crazy with design. One of the most important things to understand is the overwhelming majority (over 95%) of your fans (once you get them) will not go to your facebook fan page. They will interact with your via their news feed. SO, it’s important to start thinking about the kind of content you will post or fan acquisition and engagement.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
