If you run a small business, you need to be on Facebook. No exceptions. One of the first places people go when looking for business information is Facebook. We’ve already talked extensively about why small businesses need a presence on the social channel, so today I want to hit the highlights of a few of the most important things to do when setting up a business page account. I am not going to take you through this process step by step, Facebook does a pretty good job of doing that themselves. What I want to do is put a few signs on the road to help you set up an account without missing valuable Facebook functions.
Okay so you watched the set-up video and you’re ready to get started. My first piece of advice: Don’t ignore the little boxes that pop-up to help you get things set up. Yes, they can be really annoying, but they are there to help make the process go a lot smoother. It’s overwhelming at first, but take pieces of the set-up one at a time and fill out the information as thoroughly as possible.
It is truly amazing all of the things Facebook can do and this blog would go on for a few more pages if I wanted to discuss even a fraction of them, but the following four set-up steps go a long way in creating a complete and engaging page.
Page Verification
Beyond the standard setup for a page, verification comes next. It might not seem like a very big deal, but it’s helpful for building credibility and showing your page as the official page for your business. Verified pages show up higher in search results. When people go to search for your business, you obviously want to make it as easy as possible. Verifying your page is the best thing you can do to make that happen. To verify your page, follow these simple steps:
- Click settings at the top of the page
- While in the ‘General’ tab, click ‘Page Verification’
- Click ‘Verify this Page’ then ‘Get Started’
- From there you will enter the phone number associated with the business and click ‘Call Me Now’
- Facebook will call with a verification code you will then enter
That’s it. Not too hard, right?
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Messages
My advice is to leave these on/turn messages on. Messages are an easy, low-effort way for your audience to start a conversation. Answer questions, receive praise and yes, sometimes hear a complaint, messages are a direct link to your audience. The one downside of accepting messages is the necessity of checking said messages. If a customer reaches out, there needs to be someone there to answer it. Facebook tracks how responsive business pages are to messages. Make sure you answer quickly to earn yourself the ‘Very Responsive’ badge. Read up on how to earn the responsive badge and what it takes to maintain it from Facebook’s help center.
Cover Photo and Logo
Your visual representation on Facebook sets the tone of your profile and the brand image you put out in the world. The cover image and logo should reflect your brand. These images should reflect your website and all other branded material you put out to the public. Take for example one of the Rubschlager Breads Facebook cover image and logo. The logo is recognizable, legible and representative of the brand. The cover image shows the product in a way that appeals to viewers. A cold pint of beer and bread topped with avocado and bacon? Yes please. I would love an invitation to that picnic. 
Audience Optimization for Posts
When you set up your account, Facebook will prompt you to select your target demographics. Location, interests and age are used to put your page in front of the people who matter most to your business. Another way to target your specific audience is with Post Preferences. In the general settings tab, you will find the Audience Optimization for Posts setting. By turning this on, you can target individual posts to specific audiences.
With the audience optimization turned on, you will notice a small target symbol in the publishing box. Click on the target and select interests, age and location to target individuals within a group more likely to have a meaningful connection to that content.
I do not recommend targeting every post. These targeting features are great for specifically tailored content, but the majority of your posts should be open to all people within your general audience.
As I mentioned before, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Business pages offer endless opportunity for targeting and reaching audiences. Read a few of our other blogs for Facebook Page basics. When you’re ready to take your social media presence to the next level, check out our Social Media Starter Kit, or just give us a call.
Roundpeg is an Indianapolis content marketing firm.