Facebook for Business: Setting up your Page

Last week, I told you all about the benefits of setting up a Facebook Page instead of a personal account for your business. Today, I'll show you, step-by-step, exactly how to do it!

This is a very basic tutorial; the customization possibilities are endless! (I'll give you some customization resources at the end of this post...)

First off, log in to your PERSONAL Facebook account. Because you must have a personal account linked to the Fan Page, it's best to start there!

From the Home page of your profile, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and look in the right corner. You'll see this:

 Now, click where it says "Create a Page" (I know, tricky, right? :))

Once you've clicked that, you'll see six large buttons, with categories, as shown below:

 Because we're talking about setting this up for a business, that's what I'll be focusing on, but notice the different options here; you can create a fan page for your favorite celebrity or TV show, or your personal website... many bloggers will set up a page as a way to increase their readership as well... there's a category for everything!

Once you choose the "Local Business or Place" button, you'll be prompted to choose a more specific category, and to fill in your business name, address and phone number:

 Once you've filled that out, you'll be asked for a Profile Photo. Even though you're given the option to skip it (small text next to the Continue button) I don't recommend it. Speaking from personal opinion and general experience, an account that lacks a profile photo is often ignored or overlooked as junk or spam. Even if it's just your logo, putting *something* there is better than nothing! It only takes an extra moment, so I really encourage you to do so at this time.

 Once you've uploaded your profile photo, you have the opportunity to invite people to Like your page... you have both the option to invite  your existing Facebook fans, and to pull email addresses from your contacts.

 And there you go! It really is that simple to set up a basic Facebook Fan Page!

When you're ready to take your page to the next level, there are limitless options... if you set up a "Welcome" tab instead of just having new fans land on your Wall, you have a higher probability that they'll Like your page. You can google "facebook welcome tab design" to find help on how to do it yourself, and there are also professionals that can help you with this service as well, if that's a better option for you.

Some companies who are really taking advantage of the custom possibilities are Red Bull, Hotel Max, and Mazda USA. Have you done something really interesting and fun with your company's Facebook Page? Link me up! I'd love to see it!