Denver Social Media: New Rules for Facebook Marketing, Part 1

Mike Hanbery - 3.24.2011 9:00 AM

First, let's cover a couple of old rules that remain the same, only because we see some otherwise-savvy businesses missing them:

1. You want a PAGE for your business, not a PROFILE.
A Profile has "friends," a Page has "likes." "Friends" require mutual acceptance, the Page assumes anyone who "likes" it is welcome until an administrator says otherwise. Pages provide analytics and allow for custom tabs; profiles do not. If you're a business, you should demand analytics and...we'll talk about custom tabs later in this series.

The easiest way I've found to explain how to build a Page is: Go to the very bottom of any Facebook Web page and click, "Advertising." On the ensuing page, click, "Pages (it's on your left)," and then on the ensuing Page click, "Create Page (top right)."

2. You want a custom, or "vanity," Web address for your Facebook Page.
Once you've launched your Page, you need to acquire 25 "likes." Surely among all your employees, relatives, colleagues, customers, friends, family members, people who owe you a solid, the guy who sold you your iPhone, etc., you can scare up 25 people to take a few seconds to "like" your new Facebook Page. If not, you need to get out more. There, I said it.

As soon as you hit this milestone, go to www.Facebook.com/Username and name your Page after your business. Triple-check your spelling. Don't get cute--the point of having a memorable Web address is that it's memorable. Think ahead to business cards, email autosignatures, elevator pitches and blog posts. Example: You can connect with our company at Facebook.com/Webolutions, on Twitter at Twitter.com/Webolutions and on our Website, Webolutions.com. See there? I gave you three things and you only have to remember one.

The Business Opportunity
Even if your executives don't see how Facebook fits your business equation immediately, taking ownership of your brand name in this space is a good idea, to say the least. It's easy. So is doing it wrong.

Stay tuned, true believers, for Part 2: Three Reasons You Love the New Facebook Page Functionality.
 

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