Social media is a great way to start building your brand message and getting heard online. Although we don't see it as the best place, it is a place you need to be. You may wonder why we feel it's not the best place. It's simple. Your competitors are also on the same social media channel. Having control over your business with no competitors is the ideal place to get your message heard. That is your website. This doesn't mean we should ignore a great channel to get your voice heard. To that end, you need to have your information set up correctly to provide your audience the best message.
No matter if you are setting Facebook up for the first time or tweaking your existing page, the following are the steps we do for every client that we start on Facebook.
Proper Logo
The first item to any Facebook page is your logo. This is no longer a square logo but a rounded logo. For those with a square or rectangular logo, you will need to adjust it to fit properly. You don't want this to be cut off as it gives off the first impression of being lazy on your page and the social media timeline. Always put your best foot forward in everything you do.
The profile image needs to be a minimum of 170 x 170 pixels square. This image will be resized down for mobile phones. You can be larger but definitely needs to be square.
Cover Image
The top big image on your Facebook page is either a video or an image. At one time, we always encouraged a video as they automatically played when they came to the page. Now they require a click to play, and we've seen no one ever clicks them when we ask. Now we encourage everyone to use a great-looking image and using video elsewhere within the page.
The image needs to be 802 pixels wide x 312 pixels tall. Beyond the size, you need to save your cover image as an sRGB JPG file less than 100k in size, so it loads faster. This provides a better user experience to those coming to your page.
Note: If you have a logo or text in the cover image, it is often best to save it as a PNG file.
Call To Action Button
At the top of every Facebook business page is a unique call to action button. This can lead to your website, online ordering, contact message, etc. The options available for the Call To Action button are:
- Follow: Make it easy for people to follow your page.
- View Gift Card: Choose a website where people can purchase your gift cards.
- Start Order: Choose a website where people can order your food.
- Book Now: Choose where people can book with you.
- Get Quote: Collect the information you need from potential customers who click Get Quote.
- Call Now: Choose where you'd like to receive calls.
- Contact Us: Choose a website where people can find your contact information.
- Send Message: Receive message in your Page Inbox.
- Send WhatsApp Message: Choose the number associated with your WhatsApp account so people can reach you.
- Learn More: Choose a website where people can learn more about what you do.
- Sign Up: Choose a website where people can sign up for your newsletter.
- Use App: Choose where people can find your app.
- Play Game: Choose a website where people can find and play your game.
- Visit group: Choose a group for people to join.
- Watch Video: Choose a website where people can find and watch your video.
- Shop Now: Choose a website where people can find your shop.
About / Our Story Section
We all go into business because of a reason. That's your story. You want to include a photo and a compelling story about who you are, why people would want to do business with you and give them a compelling reason to like you.
Note About an Upcoming Facebook Change
The "Our Story" Facebook is removing and the recommendation place for this information is now in the Additional Information. We didn't want to exclude this from our list as the Our Story (now Additional Information) is a great way to explain to your fans who your business is and who you are. As story tellers for brands we find this section important.
In 2017 Facebook added the page story as a way to introduce your business and better connect with your page visitors. Like your About page on your website not everyone will read your story.
Categories
Whether you are a restaurant, realtor, or a heating and air conditioning company. Your business can be classified into a category. We all need to fit into one to three categories. I know you need four. It's not going to happen (at least today!). Facebook allows up to four, so if your business falls into more than three, you need to choose the three that best cover your business.
Basic Page Information
We see all too often the following items set up incorrectly. One would expect this to be accurate, but information changes, and businesses change.
- Street Address / City / State / Zip - If your business is a service-based or run out of your home you can leave off the street address.
- Service Area - Where your customers come from
- Website
- Contact Email Address
- Phone Number
- Hours of Operation
- Price Range
Pinned Posts
As you continue to create posts, there is one that is always at the top. This is called the Pinned Post. You can make any post pinned by clicking the three dots at the top of the post and choosing "Pin to Top of Page." You can only have one pinned post at a time. This post can be for specials or other important information. This needs to have a great image, compelling content, and provide value to your page visitor.
In Summary
Check and monitor your information for any changes quarterly at a minimum. This information is your first impression and needs to be given the love it deserves.
