Did you know? Every second there are 20,000 users on Facebook. Couple that with the fact that Facebook has been building on what it has to offer to make it as attractive to business people as personal users and you have two very good reasons to learn more about using Facebook for business. So let’s get started!
Earlier this week I kicked off our month long focus on Social Media and your business by taking a closer look at Social Media Marketing. Using social media platforms that you are probably already familiar with, such as Facebook & Instagram will form part of your Social Media Marketing campaign when you launch your business. But there are differences in how you use those platforms for business and also in how you set them up. Today I want to introduce you to how to set up Facebook for your business, brand or organisation.
Facebook Pages
When you use Facebook personally you simply set up your account in your own name. When you use Facebook professionally, you will set up a Page alongside that personal account. The first very good reason for doing this is that it separates your personal Facebook life from your business, but there are also a host of features available to you as a Page user that will be great for your business, but are not available via your personal page.
Setting up a Page is not difficult and the best information I have found to help with the task comes from Facebook itself. Along with a video introduction, you will find a step by step guide to setting your Facebook page, here. From this page you will also be able to access a range of other resources to help you use your Page effectively and to promote your business. Make sure you also read; Create Posts on your Page, Make Posts more effective and Boost Posts to reach more people, which leads us to, Advertising your business via Facebook.
Facebook Adverts
Facebook Adverts are an excellent means of advertising your business and can be used just as effectively by newbies right through to big businesses. You will have seen these Adverts popping up in the feed of your personal page. There is no other advertising that will work this cheaply, simply and effectively for your business, which is another reason why Facebook Adverts are the perfect place for you to start exploring the idea of paying for advertising. Every time I advertise my business the I Do Crew on Facebook, I get results. No not always paid bookings but I get more likers and enquiries and now you can even link your Adverts to your Instagram account, which is ideal for many weddings businesses, including mine. You will also find very simple instructions for advertising your business on Facebook. Click Adverts to get started.
Measuring Results
What I really love about Facebook for the early stages of your business, is that it puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to advertising your business and being able to track how people feel about what you have to say. To track your progress, make sure you are reviewing your Ad results and Insights to check in on what posts your audience are most engaged with. You can find out more about this on Facebook here.
Isn’t this just a list of links for me to read…can’t you just tell me what to do?
Whilst a Google search will reveal an endless amount of lists and tips designed to help you with using social media platforms like Facebook, if you are just starting out, I really do urge you to go straight to the source for the basics. Spend some time exploring more links from the pages I have linked to here, to round out your training, so you are prepared for success when launching your business Facebook Page and then go exploring those other resources. However when you turn to Google, or Pinterest for Infographics (and there are some great ones), look at the publication date. One of the reasons I suggest going to the source for your information is that it should be up to date. Things date very quickly in the social media world. When doing your research start with anything published in 2016 and if you find yourself wading in information written before 2015, be aware that it may not be relevant anymore.
I know myself that when I started out with things like Facebook for business, I didn’t spend time understanding what it had to offer and how it might work for my business. I have since back-tracked and done exactly that and I started on the Facebook website too.
Let’s talk about Facebook for Business
If you have any comments about using Facebook for business please share them with us here and if you are a Student or Graduate, join us in our private Facebook group, Academy Live, for more.
