Facebook continues to be a leading social media platform. If you decide social media is a good marketing tool for your business, Facebook should be one of your active channels.
Let’s first look at how to create a Facebook Business Page from you personal profile, if you have not already done so.
Navigate to Your Personal Profile
Start by opening Facebook in a browser and clicking the flag icon in the top menu bar. You’ll automatically be redirected to Facebook’s Create a Page pop-up.
Enter your name and confirm your identity with Facebook login credentials.
Follow the prompts to create your business account.
In the description box, write a concise introduction to your business. Since you have only 255 characters to work with, this is a great place to feature your unique selling proposition. The description will appear in the About section at the very top of your page.
Upload Page Images
After you’ve created the page, you’ll see some new options to upload images. Add a profile photo that your customers can easily recognize and associate with your business—such as your logo, your product, your location, or yourself (if your page represents a public figure).
Note that Facebook recommends using a square image that displays at 170 x 170 pixels. And keep in mind that it displays as a circle, so the corners may be cut off.
Next, choose a cover photo to tell customers more about your business. This is a larger format of 1640 X 856 (it will display different on mobile vs. desktop) Your cover image might show some of your products or a view of your store. Although it’s a good idea to keep your profile photo consistent, you can plan to change your cover photo frequently.
Choose a Username for Your Facebook Page
Once your page is set up, the first thing you should do is choose a username. Ideally, your username should include all or part of your business name or domain name. It’s going to be what’s used for people to tag you. It should also be consistent across social media channels so customers can easily find and tag your business.
Click the Create @Username link and enter the username you want to use. Since usernames must be unique, you’ll see an error message if the handle is already taken. Once you’ve found one that works, click the Create Username button.
Add a Call-to-Action Button to Your Facebook Page
Decide which call-to-action (CTA) button to add to your page. Click the Add a Button button in the upper-left corner and choose one of the available CTAs. Examples include Book, Reservations, and Shop.
Provide Business Details
Although you already added a description of your business to your page, you should also add contact information so customers can learn more about your business. Scroll down to the Provide Info and Preferences section or click Edit Page Info in the left-hand menu.
Then add details like your website and phone number. If your business has an office, store, or physical headquarters that’s open to the public, add business hours and location info.
Pick a Facebook Page Template
By default, Facebook pages use a standard template. But you can choose a different one to market your business more effectively.
In the left-hand menu, select Settings. Then click Templates and Tabs. Under the Tabs section, click the Edit button. Then browse the available options to find one that fits your business type.
Move Your Facebook Page to Business Manager
You can continue to manage your business page from your personal account. But if you want to separate personal from professional activity, you can move the page to Business Manager instead. This is practical for those that may have set up Facebook as a personal account for business a long time ago and just never updated.
Open Business Settings by clicking the gear icon next to your business account in either Business Manager or Business Suite. Then open the Accounts drop-down and click Pages.
Click the Add button and select Add a Page. Type your page’s name or copy and paste the URL. Confirm that you’ve chosen the correct page and select Add Page. If you’re both the page and the Business Manager admin, the page will move to your Business Manager instantly.
Posts are the little bits of content — like photos, videos or updates — that you share on your business’s Facebook Page for others to see. They are free and a great way to connect with your customer.
There’s a shortcuts bar on the left, or a dropdown menu that says Pages on the right.
In the Write a Post section, there’s an option to add photo or video posts. When you click on that, you’ll see even more options. Select Photo or Video. Then upload the photo or video of your choice.
Make sure that no matter what photo or video you use, you also include a little commentary in your own voice. You can make that commentary meaningful, personal, funny or fun. Whatever works best for you.
If you own a store that sells vintage clothes, show off your incredible merchandise with photos or videos of what you’re offering. But make sure to include some descriptions, plus the price or other relevant info.
Think about asking your audience a question in a post, too. It’s a great way to gain insights from your audience.
Just like Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories are fleeting images or videos designed to disappear after 24 hours (although users can screenshot a Facebook Story or view Story highlights to refer to them later). Stories can be found above Facebook’s news feed, both on desktop and in the app. They can also be posted and watched on the Messenger app. They have become an increasingly attractive way for business owners to connect with their customers and get eyeballs on their content.
Stories Size & Length
Facebook Stories are sized to fill up your entire phone screen.
Resolution of at least 1080 x 1080 pixels, for images and videos alike.
Ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16 are supported.
Text and logo placement is equally important. Make sure to leave about 14% or 250 pixels of space at the top and bottom of your visuals. No one wants to discover late in the game that their captivating copy is covered by a call-to-action or their profile info.
Stories on Facebook are short and sweet for a reason. They’re designed to keep your viewers engaged throughout the experience.
Facebook Stories – Introduction for Content Creators
How To Make a Facebook Story
To post a Facebook Story from a business Page, you must have admin or editor access. Unlike Instagram, Facebook lets you post Stories from your desktop, but the features are a bit more simple and only allow you to play around with image and text. To make your Stories more lively and get the most out of Facebook’s Story features, try posting from the Facebook app.
Log into the Facebook app (iOS or Android) and tap on your profile picture
Tap Create Story
Select a photo or video from your camera roll or tap the camera icon to create a visual of your own
From here, you can play around with Boomerang to make images flip forward and backwards or Music to add sweet tunes to your Stories. You can also add some more flavor to photos or videos with filters, stickers, text and doodling options, and special effects.
Shoot Vertically – The vast majority of people hold their phones vertically. As tempting as it is to shoot horizontally, landscape-style, these images won’t be as quick and easy to view.
Add Music – Music is also an excellent tool for evoking emotion and memories. With Facebook, you can curate a soundtrack to your favorite moments just by adding music. Here’s how to add music to your visuals:
On your app’s homepage, look to the head of your News Feed and tap + Add to Page’s Story.
Take a photo or video, or choose an existing one from your camera roll.
Press the sticker icon then tap Music.
Choose a song to capture the mood of your Story. Select a song with the label Lyrics if you want them to appear on the Story.
Use the slider to pick the exact clip you want to play.
Finally, tap to select your display style and then press share.
Checking Your Results
If you want to explore data on who’s watching your story, turn on Story Insights by clicking on Page, then Insights, then Stories.
Facebook Live allows you to stream on a page, in a group or in an event. Going live on a page offers the most tools and capabilities. For the simplest way to stream, use the Facebook app on your mobile device.
Open the Facebook App: Open the Facebook app on your mobile device and go to your business page. On your business profile click “Live” and allow Facebook to access your phone’s camera and microphone.
Set Up Your Video: Add a description to your live video which will be visible when your video appears in the News Feed—here you can also tag people, check in to a location or add a feeling. You can add audience restrictions based on where a user is located. To add restrictions click the three dots in the top right corner of the screen and click “Audience Restrictions” to exclude or include users based on their geo location. Lastly, if you’re broadcasting to raise money for a cause, click “Add a donate button” which will prompt you to select a nonprofit to support.
Start Live Stream: Once you’ve set up the audience parameters and added in a description, click “Start Live Video” to begin broadcasting. Your video will now appear in user’s News Feed.
Engage with Viewers: Now that your video is live you can engage with viewers. Directly respond to or address comments in the video or have another team member answer questions from his/her device.
End Live Stream: Once you’ve finished the live stream, click “Finish.” You’ll have the option to save, delete or share your live video.
If you plan to market your business on Instagram too, connect the two accounts.
Open the settings for your Facebook page and select Instagram from the left-hand tab. Then click the Connect Account button.
Choose whether you want your Instagram messages to appear in your Meta inbox and click Continue. Then log into your business’ Instagram account and finish linking the two.
Once you connect them, you can manage comments and messages for both Facebook and Instagram in your Meta inbox. You can also publish and schedule content to both from Business Suite, if you have that set up.
If your business offers services rather than products, you can promote them through your business page.
To add a menu, first select the Restaurant page template. Then switch on the menu tab on your page and upload a menu file.
To promote services, choose the Business page template and switch on the Services tab. Then go to your page, click the More drop-down menu, and select the Services tab. For each service, you can write a description, list a price, and show timing.
To allow customers to book appointments through Facebook, change the CTA button on your page to Book Now. You can connect a third-party booking tool or allow people to book on Facebook.
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Social Media - Facebook for Business - Visit Palm Springs
