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Facebook Fan Pages

fanpages_facebookFacebook has always been touchy about members spamming, but in the past year they’ve really opened up opportunities for businesses and professionals to represent themselves on the site.  The best way to make your presence known if you hope to use Facebook for marketing is to create what is called a “Fan Page” in the name of your business or organization.

The main difference between a Fan Page and a regular user profile is that the Fan Pages are public.  For people to view your personal profile on Facebook, they must first register and then request to be added to your list of contacts.  But a Fan Page can be viewed even by non-members.  It does not contain your personal name (unless you want it to), personal photos or other information that you don’t necessarily want to share with the general public.

Another great feature to Facebook Fan Pages is that whenever anyone becomes a “fan” or adds you as a contact; it is broadcast via their profile to all of their contacts, reaching potentially thousands of other people who may not have heard of you before.

So what are the elements that will make your Facebook Fan Page stand out?  Here are five:

  1. Use a simple page title such as your business name or something else that clearly describes what you do.
  2. Use an easily identifiable logo or profile picture.
  3. Keep your page updated, fresh, and interesting without adding a bunch of lame apps to clutter it up.
  4. Join in on conversations that happen on your page.  People love to know that a real person is watching and listening to what they have to say.
  5. Be willing to make changes and add features that your fans are asking for.  They are major contributors to making your Fan Page successful, so let them participate in its design and operation.

Obviously, the same rules apply to Facebook Fan Pages that apply to all other social networking:  don’t be pushy and don’t force yourself on your friends.  The good thing about Fan Pages, however, is that people who choose to be a fan of your page know that you will be talking about your business or product on there, so you don’t have to worry about them getting indignant at you when you post business-related stuff.

Facebook is now the most popular social networking site in the world, so if you are not using it to promote your business you are simply missing out.  Make sure you have links to your Facebook Fan Page on your blog and your regular Facebook profile so people know it exists.  You may need to do a little bit of promotion when you first start it up, but eventually it will catch on as people see your updates posted in their friends’ public timelines.

Take time to set up your company’s Facebook Fan Page, put some real thought into it, and then use it as yet another tool for generating awareness about your company online.  Do you have a Facebook Fan Page for your business?  Leave us a comment with a link so we can check it out!

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