Setting up a Facebook business page allows you to communicate with customers, attract more visitors to your business’s website, announce new products, and increase the conversion rate of browsers to buyers. Here’s everything you need to know to set up an engaging Facebook business page.
What is a Facebook business page?
A Facebook business page is a free tool for small-business promotion. Similar to personal profiles, once business pages are opened, users can like the page to follow its content. Plus, Facebook Shops—which allows you to set up a free online shop—features business messaging and delivery tracking tools that help support one-click sales through Facebook. That way, customers don’t have to transfer from your Facebook page to your website to make purchases.
Why do you need a Facebook business page?
If you’re wondering which social media channels to devote your attention to, a Pew Research Center found that over a third of the global population uses Facebook. If a customer stumbles across your business and wants to learn more, one of the first places they’re likely to check is Facebook. If you’re not on the platform, it could impact the chances of a customer finding you.
That’s why it’s important—even as trends change—to stay active on your page and keep it updated. You also need to have a Facebook business page to run paid or free Facebook ads, open a Facebook Shop, and tap into other promotional tools within the platform. Consider getting a page up and running if you don’t have one already—or optimize the one you already have.
Managing your Facebook business from Shopify
Once you create a Facebook business page, you can add it as a marketing channel to seamlessly sell on Facebook and manage from your Shopify dashboard. Shopify allows you to launch campaign promotions, sync product catalogs, and analyze the performance of various products on Facebook. You also have the ability to use tools like in-app checkout and one-click payments through the expedited checkout service Shop Pay. Utilizing this can be especially beneficial if migrating all your business information into Facebook feels like a tall order. Plus, it makes the shopping experience seamless, helping turn browsers into customers.
How to create a Facebook page for your business
- Get an admin role
- Pick your profile photo
- Determine your cover photo
- Align your assets
- Publish your page
- Know Facebook’s rules
- Use the Facebook help center
- Connect to Shopify
- Know Shopify’s rules
To open a Facebook business account, you must first have a personal Facebook account. If you don’t have a personal Facebook page (or want to separate your work and personal life), create a new personal profile with your business email address. Here’s what else you need to do when launching a Facebook business page:
1. Get an admin role
Your business Facebook account needs to have an admin role on the page. This gives you oversight of the entire page, from creating content and events to responding to messages and comments.
2. Pick your profile photo
Choose a profile photo that taps into what you want customers to think and feel about your business. Whether you’re using a logo, headshot, or product image from your catalog, choose the one that best fits your brand. Even if a user doesn’t visit your business page, anyone can see the profile picture, so make that first impression count.
3. Determine your cover photo
For cover photos, decide whether you want to use seasonal, rotating images throughout the year or an image that differs from your profile photo, but stays in place year-round.
4. Align your assets
Migrate your company logo, products, mission statements, and other imagery that identifies your brand onto your Facebook business page. That way, your business has uniform brand messaging across platforms.
5. Publish your page
Your business Facebook page needs to be published. Once published, your page will be publicly visible.
6. Know Facebook’s rules
Your personal Facebook account can be an admin on multiple Facebook pages. You can access all the pages using the Facebook Business Manager view on your personal page. However, each Facebook business page can only be owned by a single Facebook Business Manager, not a group. If you work as part of a team for your business, designate one individual as the main Facebook contact.
7. Use the Facebook help center
To troubleshoot issues with your business page, check out the Facebook help center.
8. Connect to Shopify
You need to be the admin of your business page to connect it with Facebook and Instagram by Meta in Shopify.
9. Know Shopify’s rules
To sell via Shopify on Facebook, your store can’t be password protected. Learn how to remove your online store password.
Use these 4 actions to inform your Facebook business page
Content strategy is the what, why, and when you plan to post content about your business. There are some things to do for your Facebook business page that will inform your content strategy, including:
1. Plan around annual schedules
If you run certain sales or create more content at specific times of the year, build those promotions into your content strategy plan. For example, many businesses announce their annual summer sales with pinned posts at the top of their Facebook business page to highlight or amplify an upcoming event.
2. Use your analytics
The Audience Insights tool allows you to analyze characteristics about your Facebook business page followers—like their location, age, and gender—and determine who you want to reach versus who you’re actually reaching. That way, you can get a clearer scope of your audience engagement and alter your content strategy accordingly.
3. Share value-added content
Whether it’s videos, photos, or written text, the content you share on Facebook should provide helpful information and add value for your audience. Informative content can help you gain followers, increase engagement with your business, and strengthen your brand.
4. Promote your page
You can do this either by buying Facebook ads or boosting your own Facebook business page content to reach more of your ideal customers. To boost a post, simply click the blue “Boost post” button below a piece of content. You can choose how much to spend on a boosted post based on how many more people Facebook calculates you could reach in your target demographic. The more people you want to reach, the more money you will have to spend to boost a post. Take those costs into consideration when building your marketing campaign.
5 tips to maintain a successful Facebook business page
- Optimize public content
- Stay consistent
- Review business details regularly
- Engage your audience
- Start advertising
Think of your Facebook business page as your virtual storefront. To maintain a successful page:
1. Optimize public content
Include your company website, business address, contact information, and a strong About section that aligns with your brand identity. Ensure that all of your other business social media pages are linked to your Facebook business page.
2. Stay consistent
Align the photography, imagery, font styles, voice and tone, and copy on your website and other social media pages with that of your Facebook business page. This continuity can help strengthen your brand identity and provide a consistent experience for your customers across your site and social profiles.
3. Review business details regularly
Post accurate business hours so customers know when to expect a response to queries. If you’re going on vacation, update your Facebook business hours with closing and reopening dates so customers are aware of any potential delays.
4. Engage your audience
Keep an open dialogue with customers by responding to comments, questions, and inquiries in a timely fashion. As part of your content strategy, you can also highlight posts and positive reviews your customers create.
5. Start advertising
It’s up to you whether you want to scale Facebook ads immediately or bootstrap your business and expand organically. Either way, Facebook ads are a consistent, clear way to market your business as you continue on your journey as an ecommerce entrepreneur.
How to create a Facebook business page FAQ
Do I need a personal Facebook account to create a business page?
You need to have a personal Facebook account to create an actual Facebook business page, and you will have to become an administrator for your business page from your personal account. If you want to separate your business and personal social media, create a new personal Facebook account solely for your business.
How do I add a cover photo to my business page?
Once you’ve chosen your Facebook business cover photo, hover your mouse over the cover photo area at the top of your page and click Add a Cover in the top-left corner. Choose Upload a Photo/Video to pick an image from your computer. Review the cover photo preview by zooming in or out, or altering the orientation. When you’re ready, click Publish.
What is a call-to-action (CTA) button?
A call-to-action (CTA) button is what you want your ideal customer to do when they come to your business page. Facebook’s CTA options can direct visitors to:
- Book Now
- Contact Us
- Use App
- Play Game
- Shop Now
- Sign Up
- Watch Video
How do I add a CTA button to my page?
To add a CTA, or call-to-action, button to your Facebook business page, click Add a Button below your cover photo. Choose the CTA button that aligns with what you want potential customers to link directly to and preview. Check that your CTA links to an external website of your choice. When ready, click “Finish” to add your CTA to your page.
How do I invite people to like my business page?
Invite your personal or professional network to your Facebook business page by clicking the three dots below your cover photo next to the Share option. Click Invite Friends from the drop-down menu and choose whether you want to send an invitation to your page to a targeted group or to all of your Facebook friends. You can include a personal message to go along with your invitation. When ready, click Send Invites.
