Introduction
As you adapt your marketing strategy to grow your business in the ever-changing retail marketplace, a Facebook business page can be a valuable tool to help drive sales.
Whether you're planning to post, use Facebook ads, and/or sell directly, you need to create a business Facebook page.
Don't worry, setting up a business Facebook page is fairly easy and this article will walk you through the process.
Step One: Log Into Your Personal Facebook Account
Every Facebook business page is tied to a personal page, so the first step to creating your business Facebook page is logging into your personal Facebook page.
If you don't have a personal Facebook page, you will need to create one. You can learn how from this article on the Facebook help page.
Step Two: Create A New Facebook Page
After logging into your personal Facebook page, click the + icon to open the "Create" menu.
Choose "Page" from the Create menu to complete this step.
Step Three: Name Your Business Page
Type the name of your business in the "Page name" field located under the "Page Information" heading in the slide-out menu located on the left side of your screen to name your business Facebook page.
Enter the name you want your customers and prospects to see, this may be different from the legal name of your business (i.e. Jay's Gifts, instead of Jay Enterprises LLC).
Step Four: Choose Your Facebook Business Page Categories
After entering your page name, you will need to assign your page to at least one category (you can assign up to three) to help people find your page.
You assign your page to a category using the category field located in the left side slide out menu.
Typing in the category field, will activate a drop-down list with suggested categories. Click on a category in the drop-down list to add your page to that category.
Step Five: Add a Description of Your Business
After categorizing your Facebook business page, the next step is to add a brief description (255 characters).
Include who you serve, your general location, goods and services offered, and any other information that would be useful to a prospective customer.
Step Six: Publish Your Facebook Business Page
Now that you have filled in the basic details needed to create your Facebook business page the final step is to publish the page by clicking the Create Page button.
Bonus Section:
Completing step six launched your business Facebook page, but you no doubt noticed that it looks fairly generic and unfinished.
The next three steps will customize your look and provide a call to action.
Step Seven: Add A Profile Picture
Adding a profile picture will improve your page and will align the look of your Facebook business page with your brand. Typically, businesses use their logo for the profile picture, but ultimately it can be any small image, the choice is yours.
The profile photo is small (180 x 180 pixels), and it will be displayed to the left of your business name.
To add a profile picture, click on the "Add Profile Picture" button in the "Profile Photo" field in the "Images" section of the left side navigation.
Then select your image from your computer and click open to add it to your Facebook business page as the profile image.
Step Eight: Add a Cover Image to Your Business Facebook Page
Your cover image is the main image on your page and will communicate the personality of your store to your page visitors. The ideal size for the cover photo is 820 x 312 pixels.
To add a cover image to your Facebook business page, click on the "Add Cover Photo" button in the "Cover Photo" field of the "Images" section in the left-side page set-up menu.
Then select your cover image from your computer and click open to add it to the page.
Step Nine: Add a Call to Action Button
Ideally, your business Facebook page content will motivate prospects and customers to do something that will move them closer to making a purchase. The action will vary depending on where they are in the buying process and the options that you make available.
The call to action button is one way to make it convenient for your page visitors to move through the buying process.
To add a call to action button to your Facebook business page, you need to click the “Add a Button” button under your cover photo on the right side of the page.
Then select the desired action from the call to action button dropdown list.
When choosing an action, be sure to choose a channel you can check regularly. Users are frustrated when they reach out and don't receive a response in a timely manner.
Step Ten: Flesh Out Your Page Information
You now have a business Facebook page customized with branding images and a basic description of your business. What's next?
The next steps are to flesh out your business profile to include website address, phone number, location, hours of operation, policies, and more.
Click the "Edit Page Info" link in your business Facebook page left navigation to begin
Then scroll through the menu below adding the information you want to include. If it isn't relevant to your business, don't worry, just skip it.
What's Next?
That's it you have created a Facebook business page, Now what?
For starters, get the word out. Let your friends, family, and customers know about your new page and encourage them to share it with people they know. Offer special deals and discounts for new followers to begin building your audience.
Start posting. Share things that you think would entertain or interest your followers and mix in upcoming events, offers, and new products.
Note what works and what doesn't and then refine your strategy accordingly.
Need more ideas? Check out our Introduction to Social Media for Retailers post.