There is a distinct difference between a Facebook page and a Facebook profile. In order to better manage your Facebook business presence you need to identify the key differences between the two.
The basics
Facebook Profile
Firstly, a Facebook profile is a personal account which is created when you first sign up to Facebook. It is a link to friends and family and you are only able to have one profile. You can control who sees your personal profile through privacy settings. Your profile is limited to 5000 friends.
Facebook Page
This is the business account that you create to represent your company. The aim here is to get people to like your page for your business to gain awareness on the market. Your Facebook page is public, meaning anyone can access it. You can have and manage numerous pages. The Facebook page can have unlimited likes.
What’s in it for me?
Facebook’s terms and conditions state that you cannot use a Facebook Profile for business. Interestingly, you can convert your Facebook profile to a Facebook page, if you only wish to have one account. However, most people stick to having both accounts. All the information on your personal profile will not appear on your Facebook page and vice versa. The general public will not be able to see that the two profiles are linked.
The advantages
Having a Facebook page is an advantage, it gets you in touch with social media users and allows you to quickly build a following. You can then track and measure progress on your page, like seeing what sort of people are taking an interest in your page. Facebook insights will provide valuable insight on how your page is doing in terms of likes, views and shares. You can monitor comments, see the demographics of your average fan and start to understand your market better.
Branding
Ideally, you should brand your Facebook page with your business name, logo and cover photograph. This tells people about your brand personality, showcasing who you are as a business. Commenting and interacting as your Business can increase your exposure.
Advertising
Another advantage to having a Facebook page is that you can create adverts. These adverts can only be used by a page and not on a profile. Consequently this means your Facebook page gets a lot of more coverage and reach. Facebook adverts are created to target people with relevant interests and attract new customers.
Step by step guide on setting up a Facebook Page
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Step 1: Sign up. As mentioned above, you need to have a personal profile before you can set up a business page. Create a page based on your business type by choosing a category that most suits your business.
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Step 2: Add graphics. Here’s the fun part, you can upload your “profile picture” and “cover picture”. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to create a first impression! Generally, your profile picture is your logo and the cover picture can be representative of your product offering or your brand personality.
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Step 3: Explore your page. Follow the prompts and take a tour of your page. See if your profile picture and cover picture are appealing to the eye.
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Step 4: Add a description. This tells people about your business in 155 words. Think of this as your elevator pitch. Grab your audience’s attention in a few short words.
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Step 5: Create a username. This is your URL and is used to tell people how to find you. Your business name is a safe option.
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Step 6: Your about section. Don’t leave this for a later stage. Rather make sure that you have as much information on your Facebook page as possible. It ensures that you look professional. Complete all the relevant details. Finally, add a story. This is a detailed description of your business and entices people to like your page.