A Facebook Page is key to most social media marketing strategies and will more than likely be the central
point for most of your efforts and promotions. Twitter is great for quick updates, but to get the full
story, users usually need to click elsewhere. A Facebook Page allows you to provide both in one place,
while also offering full customization and a variety of interactions.
Many brands use Facebook tabs in lieu of landing pages on their actual websites, because tabs have
more built-in social functionality, are easy to update, and are especially helpful for running contests and
promotions. But even if you foresee offering giveaways through tabs, you should still invest some serious
setup time in Page customization.
Build your Page for success the first time around by populating it with lots of optimized content and
developing a content strategy to keep it fresh. You can spend as much or as little time as you can afford
updating and maintaining the Page, and your time input will vary as your goals and use of the Page
fluctuate. If you fill out the Page completely and make it interesting and engaging early on, however, it’s
easier to take some time off later.
As you read in Chapter 2, Facebook outlines strict rules about who can have a Facebook Profile. In its
early years, Facebook was a closed site, accessible only to college students; every user was an individual
person and had a unique Profile. When the site opened up to the public, brands were quick to see
the potential for reaching people in a new way. At that time, Facebook wasn’t anticipating heavy brand
participation; the Facebook Ads platform was the only real nod to marketing on the site. So marketers
turned to the only option available at the time: personal Profiles.
This worked for a while, as small, local brands could fly under the radar. But the upkeep of a personal
Profile for a nonhuman entity is awkward; the questions are a bit far removed from anything except a
mascot or spokesperson. What would be the Nike swoosh’s favorite movie?
As Facebook started to take notice of brands masquerading as people, it created a place on the site for
them , instead of kicking them off for abusing the Terms of Service. These terms state that:
• You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook or create an account for anyone
other than yourself without permission.
• You will not create more than one personal Profile.
Before the site introduced Pages, Facebook’s Terms of Service also specified that only real people
could maintain a Profile; technically, creating a Profile for your dog was also against the rules.
The Difference Between a Page and a Profile
The easiest way to determine what warrants a Page versus a Profile is to compare the verbs Facebook
uses to interact on the site: friend versus like (previously fan). You friend the people you work with, went
to school with, or met at a party. You can’t actually friend your favorite TV show, college mascot, or
flavor of soda. But you can absolutely like these things; that is what you would say in real life, and the
action you take on the site. The top Facebook Pages exemplify the types of things that you
would like, not friend.
That college mascot raises an interesting question. You can’t really friend the chicken that danced at
football games (although you could friend the guy inside the costume); however, a mascot might have a
distinct personality, with favorite quotes, books, and movies, just like the questions asked by a personal
Profile. And of course movie stars, authors, and politicians have all the same favorites as the guy sitting
next to you on the bus, yet they require a Page as well—at least for their public persona.
Here again, taking a hard look at the verb use on the site will help. You’re not going to actually become
friends with the president. Sure, he has friends and may keep a private Profile for real-life friends, but
the greater public can only like him on Facebook. Public figures, such as musicians, actors, politicians,
sports stars, and other people with famous names or faces need to create a Page for public consumption,
even though they are, of course, individuals who could also have a personal Profile.
The bottom line? If you’re thinking about doing any type of marketing on Facebook, you need to create
a Page. As the Facebook Page Directory shows, all types of brands are doing it.
What Requires a Facebook Page, Not a Profile
Still confused between who needs a Profile and what gets a Page?
Types of Pages
Facebook separates Pages into 17 categories and many subcategories, of which the four most
common
are:
• Brands
• Services
• People
• Stuff
The Facebook Page setup process will guide you through choosing the right one for your
needs.
It’s best not to get too hung up on the label you choose for the Page; few people will ever see it anyway.
It is displayed next to your name and the number of connections on the search Page, but generally
users will already know what you do and are simply trying to find your Page. Once they click Like for
your Page, your chosen category is of little or no consequence to them.
Your choice of category does matter to the setup and display of your information, however. Different
categories ask different types of questions and display different amounts of information. Click around
and try a few categories during setup; you can’t change your category or Page name once you have
created the Page, so take some time in the beginning to make sure the category and information display
are what you want.
Creating and Customizing a Facebook Page
Once you’ve chosen a Page name and category, it’s time to begin customizing your Page and pulling
in or creating content. You don’t need to publish your Page right away, so you can keep it hidden while
you play around with designs and applications.
Because there are so many options for customization, from Facebook apps to custom applications
that you can design yourself , it’s helpful to create a wireframe or basic design of your Page
layout before you begin. You should also develop a content strategy and posting schedule that includes
automated feeds from external sites, like an RSS feed from your blog or Twitter page, as well as manual
updates and responses you post to the Page in real time.
By searching the Application Directory on Facebook, you can find many free applications with which to
begin customizing your Facebook Page. The official Facebook Page about Pages (found at http://www.
facebook.com/FacebookPages) also offers many tips and resources for Facebook Page administrators,
who are more commonly called admins.
Static FBML, Notes, and Social RSS are three great, free apps to get you started. With these you can
quickly customize the look of your Page and start bringing in outside content and adding to your Page’s
tab structure. Keep in mind, though, that a long-term Facebook Page strategy usually
benefits from a custom application or more extensive customization with Facebook Markup Language
(FBML).
Static FBML
Use Static FBML to create custom boxes or tabs using FBML (similar to HTML). Although doing so
requires some coding ability, it’s worth the effort. This application will allow you to design a custom landing
tab that tells users what you offer and why they should like the Page.
Notes
An official Facebook application, Notes allows you to pull in a blog feed and automatically post to your
Wall. This helps you keep a steady stream of content from your website without always having to log
in to Facebook. You can also post a manual note, which provides more formatting capabilities than a
standard status update.
Social RSS
Social RSS is another good RSS feed app that you can use to create a full tab display of your blog or
Twitter feed. If you are a frequent blogger, this app (or one like it) is a necessity. Social RSS enables you
to display your blog in its own tab just as it looks on your site, as opposed to displaying a snippet on
your Wall.
Facebook Page Tabs
Much like a Facebook Profile, a Page has three main tabs: Wall, Info, and Photos. Using an application
such as FBML, you can create and add custom tabs as well.
Wall
The Wall tab is the standard landing page for your Facebook Page. This is where people can post public
messages to you or comment on posts, just like for a blog. You can update your status from this tab
and view older status updates. Any applications you have authorized to post to your Wall, such as RSS
feeds, will also appear here. Page members can like or comment on any of the posts on your Wall as well.
Info
The Info tab displays all of your company or brand information, such as a mission statement or website.
The information available on this tab is dependent upon the category you have chosen for your Page. This
tab can also help you increase your presence in Facebook searches, so be thorough.
Photos
The Photos tab has long been a Facebook staple, but it can be a stumbling block for Page admins. For
some brands, it is hard to come up with images that people will want to view on Facebook. Product
shots don’t work on this site; you need to make people want to click through albums. There is a lot to
look at on Facebook, so get creative with ways to use your product or have fun with your brand.
Page Applications
A Facebook Page usually comes preloaded with several Facebook-developed applications, including
Photos, Links, Notes, Discussions, Videos, and Events. Many of these existed on the site even before
the introduction of Pages or applications, and so it is easy to forget that they are, in fact, Facebookdeveloped
apps.
The functionality of these apps is pretty self-explanatory: each allows you to upload or post the content
they are named for. Thus, they provide the basic structure of a Page and the Page members’ interactions
with content. Your Facebook Page marketing strategy should go far beyond these basic applications,
however.
Custom Applications
Facebook allows developers to create all kinds of custom apps. Depending on your size, budget, and
strategy, you might want to develop your own custom applications for Page member use or simply to
take full control of tab customization and design. Readily available, free applications can
help you get up and running quickly or add more content, but they provide little control. If something
breaks, you must wait for the developer to fix it, and you usually have very little say in how content is
displayed on your Page tabs. Using FBML is one option, but for landing tabs or promotions, it is best to
design your own applications.
Custom User Applications
Some applications are designed for user interaction and may be only tangentially related to your brand.
For example, Coke Zero’s Facial Profiler doppelganger app allowed users to find their online twins.
Based on the idea that Coke Zero tastes the same as regular Coke, this popular app was fun but didn’t
really connect the application to the brand. What it did do was allow Coke to advertise to a captive
audience.
Zappos, on the other hand, created an application that allows users to share their favorite products
from the online retailer with their Facebook friends. Marshalls
members to unlock their “shopportunity” for a chance to win a shopping spree, while TripAdvisor allows
users to display all the cities they have visited. Fashion, technology, and travel play well on Facebook
as applications, but get creative and you can create an application that is both fun and relevant in any
industry.
Custom Tab Applications
With a custom application, you can create tabs that not only display content any way you want, but
also include such interactive elements as polls and quizzes, video players, games, and email capture
forms. A custom app like this is ideal when designing a landing tab for a Facebook promotion.
Although you can also use Static FBML to create custom tabs, it does not provide the full level of
customization that an application built to your specifications can offer.
Page Optimization
To maximize your return on investment (ROI) on Facebook, you want to make sure you are getting and
keeping Page members (formerly called fans). This requires applying some basic search engine optimization
(SEO) skills and including keywords in your content, for both Facebook and overall organic
searches, so your Page can be found through the site and on the Internet at large.
Organic Search
Facebook Pages are indexed by search engines. Facebook even has deals with Google and Bing to pull
its social content for a feature called real-time search. Your Page will be visible in search results, provided
you have optimized it correctly, and can even be viewed by people who do not have a Facebook
account.
Facebook Search
Facebook’s internal site search is notoriously picky, but it is getting better. As you might imagine, ranking
well in an internal Facebook search is even more important. Someone searching for
your brand directly within Facebook knows what she wants and is almost certain to click Like when she
reaches your Page.
When optimizing your Facebook Page, focus primarily on keywords and content; Facebook adds the
nofollow attribute to links, making it difficult to pass on any link power. A good, keyword-rich content
strategy should be at the heart of your Page optimization plan, as it will help new users find you and
keep old ones coming back. Of course, also include all the important links to your site so that people
who like you on Facebook can easily navigate to your website.
Page Optimization Tips
Optimizing your Page begins with setup and continues throughout your Facebook marketing strategy.
The tips below will help you start your Page on the right path and enable you to better optimize later
through content and design.
Pick a descriptive Page name and URL.
Choose a good Page name (usually your brand name or tagline) and encourage 25 people to like
the Page quickly in order to secure your vanity URL. This URL will be in the form of Facebook.com/
YourPageName, so choose something easy to remember and closely tied to your brand.
Fill out the Info section completely.
Make sure you take your time and choose the right category for your Page. The category you
choose affects what and how much you can add to the Info tab. Fill out the Info section completely,
and use a lot of keywords. Also add all of your related websites, including your blog, online store,
and Twitter page.
Use the About box.
One of the most undervalued and overlooked features of a Facebook Page is that little box on the
left, below the Page’s picture. Prominently displayed on the Wall tab, this box is a great place to
add keywords to quickly signal what your Page is about to both users and search engines. Plus,
you can add a clickable link. Just be careful not to exceed the box’s 250-character limit.
These tips will help you optimize your Page during setup. To keep it up to date, ranking highly, and
attracting new members, however, you also need an ongoing content strategy.
Optimizing Through a Content Strategy
To maintain your rankings and drive new traffic to your Page, you need to constantly populate the Page
with new content through both automated and manual postings.
Cross-promote content.
Go beyond just including a link to your website and connect all your web properties with automated
applications wherever possible. RSS feeds from a blog or Twitter, for example, can
post to your Wall as well as a custom tab. This keeps a steady stream of new content coming in,
with links back to your site, without a lot of extra effort.
Encourage engagement.
An important part of a content strategy is driving interactions. Each interaction on your Page,
whether in the form of liking or commenting, functions as a vote for your Page. The more engagement
and interaction on your Page, the higher it ranks. This also keeps it in your members’ newsfeeds;
as they interact with new items, their friends will see this and be drawn to your Page.
Keep content flowing.
The most important part of a content strategy is to keep it going! No one will interact with a stagnant
Page, and many will click Unlike if you don’t deliver. An automated RSS feed can help, but be
sure to add some Facebook-specific content as well. This is where you can really drive engagement
by asking people to comment on photos as part of a promotion or by developing timely, targeted
articles that encourage sharing. And above all else, respond to Page members on your Wall.
Promoting Your Page
You’ve set up your Page and created a custom tab, and optimized content is flowing. Now it’s time to
promote your Page and convince people to like it. The best promotions incorporate a combination of
paid, organic, and incentive offers. Try to use all three; just make sure your Page is ready to be unveiled
before you start asking people to join.
Paid advertising
Pure and simple: you could buy a Facebook ad. In fact, Facebook hopes you will become not just
a brand, but also an advertiser. If you have a little money and want to gain members quickly, this
might be an avenue to pursue. Just don’t rely on it by itself.
Organic promotion
Put links to your Facebook Page on your website and add them to the header or footer of emails
you send to your email list. Better yet, write a blog post about the new Page and send an email to
all your subscribers informing them that your new Facebook Page is live. Many people probably
have been waiting for this; make an event of the launch, and then place permanent links on the site
and all future email communications.
Incentive offers
We all love free stuff. Offer exclusive information, deals, or discounts just to members of your
Facebook Page. Add this incentive to your launch email or blog post to give people an
even better reason to click Like. You don’t need to go crazy with giveaways, but be ready to offer
something.
Page Interactions
There are many ways that users can interact with your Page, from the ongoing stream of status updates
and posts that appear on the Wall to media uploads they can comment on. Custom applications, especially
those designed for user interaction, also encourage clicking. Every interaction works to improve
your ranking and keep your name high up in the Facebook Newsfeed.
Wall posts
The preferred means of communication for frequent Facebook users is Wall posting, because these
messages are quick and easy to post . They are also open and visible to the public—
great for praise, but not so much for complaints. Be sure to respond quickly here.
Media comments
Members of your Page can view and comment on anything you upload to the Page. Take photos at
events to encourage liking and tagging when people see themselves, and consider a photo comment
contest to get engagement going, especially early on.
Inbox updates
These messages won’t help your Page interaction directly, but you can use them to bulk-message
all Page members and alert them to important new uploads. Include links to send members directly
to the content you want them to interact with.
Custom applications
As you design your custom application, be sure to think socially. Provide easy ways for users to
share the results of your application with friends or invite them to try it as well. Include a Share button
at all stages of interaction with the application so users can post to their Wall and newsfeed.
Summary
According to Facebook, there are nearly 500 million active Facebook users, each of whom is connected to
60 Facebook Pages, Groups, and Events on average. The popular Facebook-focused blog All Facebook
keeps a running tally of the most popular Facebook Pages, ranked by the number of users who like
these Pages. At this writing, the top Page is Zynga’s Texas Hold’em Poker, with more than 17 million
user connections, while the official Page for Facebook is approaching 10 million.
Obviously, Facebook is growing rapidly, as are Facebook Pages. Pages are the key to your
brand’s marketing on Facebook. Whether your goals are search presence, general awareness, customer
service, or sales, you need to take this social network seriously if you want your Page to succeed.
More and more, Facebook users are expecting brands to be on Facebook. They look at the site much
the way we looked at the Internet 10 years ago, and are confused when they can’t find their favorite
store or celebrity. Don’t disappoint your fans with a half-hearted Page. Think of your Facebook Page as
an extension of your website and put the same amount of time and effort into it.
