Creating a Facebook fan page for business
Posted in Advice on February 9, 2010
Many people ask what the difference is between a Facebook group and fan page. To compare features and potential uses of each I recommend this article on Mashable: Facebook Pages vs Facebook Groups: What’s the Difference?
I use fan pages because it’s like a website with its own vanity URL that allows your friends to collaborate with you by sharing their own content and commenting on your content.
Facebook Fan Page Suggestions
Set a vanity URL for your fan page once you’ve got at least 25 fans by visiting Facebook.com/username.
Also, you can automate sharing content from an RSS feed in a fan page. I like to use either a blog or online newsroom’s RSS feed and import it into the fan page notes application. Just edit the page, edit the Notes application and import an RSS feed.
You can also create applications on your fan page. Check out the Bags Fly Free application on the Southwest Airlines Facebook fan page.
You can message fans by posting an update that appears in the “Updates” section of fans’ inboxes.
Facebook also provides analytics for pages with more than 10,000 fans (see: Introducing per post analytics for Pages).
Here’s my advice on managing your Facebook fan page:
- Set your vanity URL
- Install applications
- Import RSS in the Notes application
- Frequently share useful articles and videos
- Post upcoming events
- Provide info to Facebook fans first
- Post discounts, deals and coupons — skip the line pass, secret sales, bring a friend coupon
- Ask fans for their feedback and insight to improve your products/services and do a drawing for one lucky participant
- Set appropriate privacy settings on your personal page
The Bottom Line
Create a place where your fans are comfortable communicating with you.
Fan Comment Notifications
As of this writing Facebook, unfortunately, hasn’t incorporated a way for fan page administrators to be notified when someone shares something on your fan page.
But there is a way to find out when people comment on something that has been shared — you have to “Like” it then you’ll receive notifications when someone else follows you with a “Like” or “Comment.” I blogged about that earlier (see: How to receive notifications when someone posts to your Facebook fan page).
Suggestions?
Do any of you have suggestions for ways businesses can and are using Facebook fan pages?
I’d love to hear them.
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Saw this at just the right moment. Appreciate both the post and all the comments.
pete – thank you…but the issue is not figuring out how send it from “me” (michelle) and I want it to go out to join my vanity url (ie: my page “flying daisies”). Right now it comes from Michelle and if they join, they become a friend of Michelle…and not Flying Daisies. How do I get the request for them to join Flying Daisies? I know how to ask my friends (of Michelle). I want to suggest to friends of FANS of Flying Daisies. Hope I am clear. By suggesting Flying Daisies (Michelle url page)to friends of my fans of Flying Daisies, it comes from Michelle and if they become a fan, they join as a friend of Michelle. Not Flying Daisies. thank you!!
There are two ways you can share your Facebook page with your friends.
First, if you have set a vanity URL (a shortened one, following the instructions above) you can just send them an email message or post on their wall the URL of your page and ask them to click on the link to “Become a Fan.”
Second, if you’re on your fan page, in the left column under your primary page image there’s a link to “Suggest to Friends.”
Both of those methods – and there are probably others – will get your fan page in front of your friends and give them the option to become a fan.
Hello – I have a personal facebook page and I have created a “page” for my business (an online boutique). I am trying to suggest “friends” my fans to join my “page”. Become fans of my “page” (my business page). But when I request this, it comes from my personal facebook (michelle) and not my company “page” (as they are linked). How do I suggest to friends of my already existing fans to join directly to my page vs my personal page. FYI – I have a URL for “page” (for my business)
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
I create fan pages within my personal profile account. Facebook does allow you to create a profile for a business but it’s not nearly as feature-rich as a personal profile. And I’m not sure if you can create a fan page from a business profile page (I’ve never tried).
It works best when you create the fan pages under your own personal profile. You can always invite other friends to be administrators on the fan pages. However, you can’t ever remove yourself from the fan page once you create it, so keep that in mind.
Also, once you name a fan page, you can’t rename it. So, if you already have fans on the page you created, you may have to ask them to become a fan of the new page that’s managed from within your personal Facebook profile, then delete the old page.
Nice overview to fan pages.
I have a question: I manage a fan page but have had trouble getting a vanity URL. It says that to get one I need to create a profile, but that I can’t create a profile for a business. Since the fan page is for a business I’m not sure how to get around this. I already have a personal profiles… Any ideas/suggestions? Thank you!
Thanks, Pete! Very helpful info.