Digital Marketing Branding. How to set up the perfect Facebook business page

Transcription

1 Digital Marketing Branding How to set up the perfect Facebook business page Guide

2 Whatever your business, it is highly likely you either already have a business page, or at least are seriously considering setting one up. Whilst it s not a particularly difficult or arduous task, there are some rules which will make your page stand out for all the right reasons. It s all about perception. Whatever the size of your business, and it really doesn t matter if you are a multi-national company or a one-man band, the same rules apply. You want a professional look, a clear message, and consistent branding. So, without further ado, here is the Retriever guide to setting up a Facebook business page Creating the page Log into your personal Facebook page Now go to facebook.com/business and click on create page. You will be faced with the following options: Now this is important as you need to know which category best suits your needs. A local business or place refers to a business with a physical address where customers can visit, OR it serves a particular locality only. So, for instance, shops and restaurants, or local tradespeople would sit well within this category. If your business is not limited to one locality and offers its services nationwide or perhaps worldwide, then Company, Organisation or Institution would be the required category. These are the two most popular options and the two we will be covering in this white paper. Simply click on the required box and fill in the relevant details. 2

3 Do not miss out any sections. If you have a website do add the URL. The more information you can enter the better the user experience. You will be prompted to add your profile picture. As a general rule, this will be your company logo, and should measure 180 x 180 pixels. Ensure you use a crisp, clear image which neatly fits the box. During the set up process you will be asked who you would most like to connect with. For some businesses this may be more obvious than others, but if you have a specific target audience, this is where you need to spend some time. Please ensure your business name is spelt correctly and you are 100% sure that it is the name you will be keeping for Top tip the foreseeable future as Facebook will only allow you to change your business name once. (Any additional changes need to be submitted to Facebook for consideration with no guarantee that they will be allowed). 3

4 OK, so now you have the bare bones of your Facebook page. Facebook will guide you around the page, explaining all available tabs, but here is a run-down of the important bits. First and foremost, Like the page yourself! Obvious we know but it s a step which is easily forgotten. Next, create your cover image. This is the large image at the top of the page. Click on the camera icon in the top left hand corner and upload your desired image. The measurements for this image should be 851 x 315. Your cover image needs to be a great representation of your company and carry your brand message. High quality images are a must. Do add a tagline and a call to action if appropriate. Don t however, add too much text. If you follow any large brands, you will note that they regularly change their cover image to coincide with seasonal events or promotions. This is a great way to add interest to your page. Your profi le picture will cover part of your cover image, so do take care to not place any important information in this area. Top tip 4

5 A great example of this can be found Marks and Spencer. Their current cover features their fitness clothing, perfectly apt for the time of year when health and fitness are at the top of everybody s agenda. You can guarantee that in a matter of weeks this will be replaced by the next seasonal offer, we re guessing Valentine s day. Note how the main part of their image is off centre slightly to the right, meaning they are not losing any of their message under their logo. Now you have your images perfectly set up, it s time to move onto the Call to Action. Simply click on the Call to Action box, and a sub box will appear, allowing you to choose which call to action button you would like incorporated into your page. This very much depends on your business type. If you have an e-commerce website, we would suggest a Shop Now button. If you are a service provider, a Contact Us or Call Now may be more appropriate. 5

6 The next step is to fill out your company information in more detail. You can do this in the About section which you will find below your profile picture on the left hand side of the page. As we mentioned before, leave nothing out. This is your opportunity to shine. If you have won awards, then pop that information in. Most importantly, your contact information MUST be complete and correct. Now you have your page set up, looking great and fully complete, it s time to start getting some likes. The easiest way to do this is to ask your Facebook friends to like it. This will give it an initial boost. To do this, click on the three little dots next to the message box. Then simply click on Invite Friends. This will bring up a list of all your Facebook friends, which you can then choose to invite. Top tip If you have a great promotional video about your company, you can add this to the About section. Here s how add your video to your Facebook page by clicking on the Photo/Video icon at the top of the new post box. Add your video (adding some brief text and a call to action if appropriate). Publish your video. Once Facebook has successfully published the video it will appear on your page on the left hand side under the videos section. Click on the video. On the right hand side, you will see a link saying Feature this Video. Click on this. You should now fi nd that your video will appear in your About section. 6

7 2 Posting Now you have created the page, it s time to get posting. This is often the stumbling block for many. Here is what we advise. Do some homework. Take a look at who you see as your main competitors, as well as companies you aspire to be like. Then look at some Facebook pages you love, whether or not they are in a similar field. This will give you a good idea of posts which work, and posts which don t! Now, choose your tone and personality. This is so important. Facebook is a social tool. It s interactive, so don t be afraid to show some personality. The tone of the page will very much depend on the nature of the business. For example, a funeral directors should not perhaps be too relaxed and jokey, but on the whole audiences like a little wit and conversation. If there is more than one of you working on your Facebook page, have in place a set of guidelines and ensure you all work to the same set of rules and use the same tone to avoid it looking disjointed. Posts which work well Posts featuring images of staff If it is a staff member s birthday, or they re retiring, getting married, having a baby, all of the above, share it on Facebook. Add some photos. This shows your audience that you are a company which cares about its staff. People like to see the people behind the company. Time relevant posts If there is a big new story (preferably nothing too controversial), discuss it on Facebook. Sales posts of course the main reason you have set up your page is to get more sales or enquiries from an increased online presence. So do sell, but don t be too repetitive and intersperse these more salesy posts with shared posts, images, videos etc. Shared posts If you support a local charity, or local sports team of event then don t be afraid to share their posts if you feel they would sit well on your page. Perhaps your company sponsors a local sports team or has donated to a charity. If this is the case, tell your audience. Take photos and tag those teams and charities wherever possible. Branded images In order for your Facebook page to look consistent, you should consider branding all your images. Take a look at Innocent s Facebook page for great branding. This is also a fab example of a fun and interactive page. It may not be an approach which would be suitable for every company, but for a young and vibrant brand like them, they nail it! drinks/?fref=ts Ask questions encourage interaction. The more interaction a post has, the more people will see it. Unfortunately, not all of your Facebook followers will see all of your posts on their timeline. In fact, only a small percentage of them will. The only way to increase views for each post is to either pay to boost the post, or to get as much interaction as possible. If you work closely with other companies, don t be afraid to tag them in your posts. Once a company is tagged they are likely to respond and increase interactions. Likewise, if you had a company event at a particular restaurant or hotel, don t forget to mention them in your posts, preferably with some photos, and follow their page. Posts containing images will generally be more popular than just text, so get the camera out. If you re a tradesperson, perhaps some before and after shots. If you work in an office, some candid office snaps. Take photos of your work, this is your opportunity to show what you are capable of. Do encourage your customers to leave Facebook reviews Ensure you promote your Facebook page on any literature you may hand out. Post regularly, but not too regularly. If you bombard people with 10 posts a day they will tire. We would suggest 1 per day tops. If that is too many for you to manage, try as a minimum 2-3 per week, although do check into your account daily to ensure there are no messages (these messages will also show up on your personal page as a notification which means that if you are a regular Facebook user, you won t miss anything important. 7

8 Some more do s don ts: Don t make your posts too salesy. If every post is simply featuring your products, with nothing in between to break up the monotony, people will very quickly grow tired and may unfollow. Variety is key. Do not use images which don t belong to you. Either purchase your images from a reputable site, or take them yourself. If you get a bad review or a less then positive comment via Facebook, don t be tempted to fly off the handle and respond with something you may later regret. Your followers are more likely to be impressed by the way you professionally handle a complaint. Respond to messages as soon as you see them. When people comment on Facebook they will expect a speedy response. The more prompt, the more professional you will look. So there you have it. The basics which should get your business up and running. Once you have mastered all of the above, then perhaps you would like to move on to Facebook analytics and paid ads, but that is for another time. Retriever Digital Contact us Good luck & Happy posting Call: info@retrieverdigital.co.uk Website: Office: 149 Pavilion Road Worthing BN14 7EG 8