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Q&A: Questions from the Social Networking Tour, Answered!
Q: How do you set up a Facebook Business Page?
A: Setting up a Facebook page for business is pretty easy, here are the basics for getting started:
- Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
- Select the nature of your page (Local Business) and a name ( note: the name cannot be changed once the page is created, so make sure it’s what you want your page to be known as!)
- Follow the rest of the setup wizard to get yourself up and running
Once your page is created, you’ll want to make sure you get the basics filled in:
- Upload a photo (in the top-left corner of your page) – make sure the photo matches your branding (your logo & colors) so that it’s consistent with your other marketing materials (web site, brochures, etc)
- Add some text in the box under your photo – this is a great place to put your tagline and web address
- Edit the “Info” tab to include your basic business info
This will get you set up, and you can start using your page! Start by adding any upcoming events you have scheduled, and you may want to add one or two “Notes” (a basic Facebook application) – these can be copied from existing marketing materials (you can use content from your brochure, flyers, datasheets, etc) as well as a couple of Wall posts. This will get a good basis of some content to begin with on your page. Also, going forward, all of these types of updates (wall posts, events, notes) will post to the “News Feed” of everyone who “Likes” your page, keeping your brand fresh in their minds.
As soon as you have 25 people who “Like” your page, Facebook will let you create a vanity URL (e.g. www.facebook.com/MyCompany) if you’re interested. You can also “upgrade” your profile to have additional features and apps at any time, so don’t worry about doing it all at once, you can develop your page over time. Facebook gives you great statistics, so you’ll have fun watching your page as it grows!
Q: How do you change your Business Name on Facebook?
A: Once your page has been created, you cannot change the name. So be careful when you create the page!
Q: How to you get rid of an old Business Page?
A: If you want to delete an old Facebook Business Page, you can do so by clicking “Edit Page” (under the logo/photo in the upper left corner) and then selecting “Delete Page” – this will permanently delete the page.
Q: How do we change the Personal Account our Business Page is linked to?
A: Your Business Page is tied to a Personal Account in two different ways: The “Creator” of the page (the account that was used when the Business Page was created), and Page “Admins” - administrators who are able to edit the page and post comments on the page as the business (instead of as their personal account)
There is currently no way to take away admin status from the creator of a Page. However, Page admins can add or remove other admins by following these steps:
- Click the "Edit Page" link below the Page’s photo.
- On the right hand side, click the "Add" link in the Admin section.
- Select the friend you would like to add as an admin (a list of your personal profile’s friends), or enter the email address of the personal profile you would like to set as an admin (handy if you want to grant admin status to a coworker who is not currently one of your personal Facebook friends!).
Q: How can you share info and interact with other businesses on Facebook and around the Web as your Business Page and not as your Personal Profile?
A: The way that Facebook is set up, business pages aren’t meant for contacting or interacting with other business pages, for instance, a business can’t ‘like’ another business or comment on another business. You’d have to do this from your individual profile.
However, it’s possible for a business page to ‘Add this page to my page’s favorites’
Basically, the only participation you can currently have as your business page is posting to your business page or commenting on your business page actions (events, notes, wall postings, etc)… Your business ‘self’ can only take actions on its own page.
Q: How can I easily send information/updates to the people who “Like” my Business?
A: The best way is to update your Facebook Business Page! Any update you make to your page (wall posts, events, photos, notes, etc) will automatically show in the News Feed of anyone who “Likes” your business.
You can either make the updates directly on your Facebook Page, or you can use a third-party option (like Ping.fm or HootSuite.com) to manage your social updates.
Q: How can you find stats on LinkedIn about your Business Profile?
A: LinkedIn doesn’t currently offer any statistics about your Business Profile.
Q: Can you use Ping.fm to upload/send photos?
A: Yes. You can send photos via your Ping.fm account, and Ping will automatically upload and host the images, as well as provide a shortened link in your post to the hosted image.
Currently you cannot send a photo via the Ping.fm dashboard, but you can use a different posting method (like email) to send Ping your update. Just be aware of the character limits and remember to leave 20 characters available for the image link.
Q: Have you seen social networking used as an outreach tool for Governmental Offices?
A: Yes! Social Networking is a great way for Government Offices to keep in touch with constituents. However, you will have to decide whether you want to set the social networking up for you (the elected official) or your office, or both.
If you want to set it up for the office, be sure to use generic login information that can be passed along to the next person who holds that position – for example, be sure to set up the Facebook Page so that it’s not tied to your personal Facebook Profile.
We recommend that you have a social presence as both yourself (the elected official/candidate) and as the office (which could change hands due to elections, term limits, etc). |
