subject: Creating a Business Page on Facebook [print this page] Creating a Business Page on Facebook Creating a Business Page on Facebook
While there is some confusion as to how to separate your Facebook Business Page from your personal page. It used to be that you couldn't make a business page for your company if you didn't have a personal account.
However this is not the case anymore. Facebook is now more flexible in terms of creating accounts for business purposes. This makes it easier than ever to build a professional presence for you business on Facebook and helps keep your personal photos and information separate and protected.
It is important to differentiate the two though. Where business is concerned, experts recommend having a Business Page rather than a Business Profile. The difference between the two is that profiles are meant for individuals and pages are ideal for those who have a business, organization, celebrity status or some need of professional presence online. This way, the more apt term should be Business Page.
For business it is best to start with a Page straight away rather than converting your profile to a page later on as this is a more strenuous task on your part later on.
To get started, you will have to go to Facebook and create a page. It is fairly easy to do, just follow the steps provided and if you need help you can visit Facebook's help center for the answers to your questions:
http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=904
Facebook will then ask you to create an Official Page whether for a local business, brand, product or organization or as an artist, band or public figure. Choose the first. Facebook will ask for a page name and whether you are the official representative of these entities. Make sure that you've also read through the Facebook terms so you won't have any trouble with your account being deactivated for violating their rules later on. Facebook is strict about multiple accounts so be careful not to intermingle your personal account with your page. Make sure also to answer all the basic questions in your Fanpage as this will add more credibility to your site such as the company background, short history, store locations and contact numbers.
The great thing about creating a Business Page in Facebook is that it gives you the advantage of having analytics. Through these, you will be able to evaluate web traffic and account activity easily. Your company will also be able to easily engage customers to promos and just as easily determine whether these promos are effective in driving traffic to your page and to the overall sales. This is not available in a normal profile page. Another advantage that a Page will offer is its Like Button. The Like Button will give you an indication of customer base. There are no limits to the numbers of Likes unlike in a normal profile page where individuals are only limited to 5,000 friends.
The key term to remember in a Business Page is professionalism. One must always work towards having an enthusiastic and updated page which will garner the respect of people. Sometimes, one might be tempted to make the page more fun and interactive than it should be but the bottom line is one should remember that you are building a brand. Every action or in this case wall post released should move towards an image of professionalism despite the website's easily casual manner.
