Using Facebook to promote your business in 5 easy steps

Facebook can be used to promote your business by building an Official Page. You can open a Facebook business account that has limited privilege or you can use your personal account to create a Company Page. Facebook only allows an individual one account and it is a violation subject to your account being terminated if you create more than one account.


If you choose to attach a business page to your personal page, you can promote your business to your friends by suggesting that they “like” your page. Whether you use a personal or business account, you can promote your business with ads.

You can mix your personal and business page by sharing posts, photos and sharing with friends or you can keep them completely separate. This is determined by your security settings, how you post information and who you confirm as a friend. If you worry about what family or high school friends are going to post on your wall, consider keeping your accounts separate by not sharing information between them. For more information on business accounts, go to Facebook Help Center Business Accounts.

Now let's get down to business promotion:

1) Create your Official Page. This page can be linked to your personal page or can be created as a business account. Business accounts have limited privilege. In order to make an official company page, you'll have to have a Facebook account business or personal. If you currently use your Facebook account to connect with family and personal friends, consider keeping the pages separate. It is possible to have all your "friends" under the same Facebook account by managing security settings, but it requires that you manage your account. You don't want items posted to your wall that are not appropriate for your business friends.

2) Create your Official Page for a local business, product or group. Keep in mind your brand as you add character to your page. Your business summary and logo are essential to branding. You can add more detailed information and photos to give more personality. You can be formal, keep it light-n-lively or anywhere in between. If you need ideas, go to some other Official Pages of businesses in your industry or area. Don't try to be just like another page or site, just use as a way to spark you own creativity. If your page will be a group effort, make sure you establish the ground rules and that one person is charged with brand monitoring.

3) Post to your Company Wall. If you have a blog, you should link or add your posts to Facebook. If you have decided to post photos, upload flattering photos of company events individually or in albums. Keep it interesting and mix up the types of posts to appeal to your fans. The frequency of posts is up to you, but once you start make sure you are consistent. Start with once or twice a week to test the required time commitment.

4) Promote your Company Page by suggesting to your friends. Facebook recently replaced the "Become a Fan" button with the "Like" button. Not everyone likes the new terminology and the debate continues on what it is to be a fan or like a page. For your Company Page, the important point is to get people to like and visit your page. Provide useful information and use as a way to drive visits to your blog or website.

5) Promote your Company Page with an ad. You can purchase impressions or clicks and choose your target audience. You can create variations of ads to test your marketing campaign using different logos, text and demographics.

These are 5 easy steps to start promoting your business with Facebook. Experiment to see what gives you the best interactions. The Insights box, visible to administrators, gives you an indication of the amount of interaction with your business "friends." And one good like, deserves another. Go to the businesses you know, favorite their pages and like their posts to get the ball rolling.

If you have questions or suggestions for other topics, please leave a comment or contact me at mary@lansystems.com.

For more technical tips, please visit our website: http://www.lansystems.com/resources.html