Welcome to the fifth in a series of posts about getting started on different social media platforms! Today we are focusing on Facebook, a giant in the social media industry. You will learn how to use Facebook and receive a helpful overview on using Facebook for business.

Facebook: The Backstory

Facebook was founded in 2004 as a social network for students at Harvard. It soon expanded to include students at other elite colleges and universities. In 2006, Facebook opened up to the public and now has over 1.44 billion monthly active users! In March, 2015, Facebook averaged 936 million daily active users, including over 82% of users outside of the US and Canada.

If you have been reading about Facebook’s frequent changes to its algorithms for business Pages and have been worried that you “missed your chance” on this social network, think again. Many creative businesses that are using Facebook for business find that it continues to be a major driver of website traffic and online sales, as well as a way to connect with customers and colleagues.

Facebook Basics

Optimize Your Profile

1. If you’re new to Facebook, start by setting up a personal account. Use your real name rather than a “handle” or “user name.”

2. Upload a picture. Choose a square image for best results. You can customize your cover, a banner that is displayed behind your picture, using the template in Canva.

3. Share as much background information as you feel comfortable including. If you’ll be using Facebook both for personal use and for business, consider adjusting your privacy settings to limit how your personal information is viewable. You can find more information on Facebook’s Basic Privacy Settings & Tools page.

4. Add Friends. Friends have to approve your request and should be people you know personally or from other online communities.

5. Join Groups. Many creative business owners find that Facebook Groups are great ways to network, find professional development and freelance opportunities, and more. When possible, choose Closed Groups, where only members can see posts, or private, invite-only Secret Groups. Information posted in Open Groups is viewable to the Facebook public.

How to Use Facebook for Business

As a creative business owner, you may want to approach Facebook differently than the personal user.

• Create a Page or a Group for your business – or both!

• Your business Page must include a category. You can also include a call-to-action button. There are 7 options available, described here.
• Groups can be a great way to connect with your customers and fans. Groups with clear, posted rules about appropriate behavior may be easier to moderate.
• Start with free options, like posting on your business page or sharing information with your Group, before trying out Facebook ads. This will help you establish a baseline that you can use to assess the success of your ads.

You can read more Creative Income Blog articles about using Facebook for your creative business here.

Now what?

Now that you are using Facebook for business, be sure to periodically assess your use and how it impacts your business. Use Facebook Page “Insights” or analytics from your website or online marketplace to examine the impact Facebook has on your traffic and sales.

 

Are you already using Facebook for business? Share your tips and be sure to follow both Creative Income and The Underground Crafter on Facebook!