Back to the Basics of Social Media: Your Facebook Checklist

When you’re tasked with keeping track of multiple social media platforms, it can be extremely complicated! There is plenty of jargon on each platform that users might not be used to, which is why we want to cover some and get back to the basics.

For today’s blog, we will be focusing on Facebook and some of the key elements of using this platform for business purposes. Here’s what you can expect:

1. How to select the right profile picture
2. Optimizing your banner
3. Tips for writing your “About” section
4. Page vs. Post “Likes”
5. The benefits of pinning a post
6. Fixing typos after posting
7. Increasing post engagement
8. Increasing page engagement

Facebook Checklist: 6 Key Elements to Building Your Business Page

For a rundown of the key elements to make Facebook a bit easier to understand and navigate, check out the information below!

1. Selecting the Right Profile Picture

For the majority of firms, using your company logo is the simplest and best option for your Facebook page. In some cases, a firm connects its brand to an individual, establishing them as the “face” of the business.

For these firms, it can be tempting to use a photo of this individual, but we recommend avoiding this. First, because a personal page can be utilized for this purpose. Second, because linking your firm’s logo with your social media presence can be beneficial for long-term recognition, as site visitors discover your business on Facebook.

2. Optimizing Your Facebook Banner

Your Facebook banner appears at the top of your business page, acting as the first impression for visitors. For this reason, you will want to choose a banner that draws in an audience – something that shows your firm’s personality.

Ensure your photo is the right dimensions:

Whether you’re using an edited stock image or a picture from your site, you’ll want to make sure your banner is the right dimensions. Facebook recommends 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall for the best results.

Selecting your photo

Be sure that you select a photo that defines your firm and captivates your audience right from the start.

This could be a simple stock image edited with an inspirational quote, a photo from your site with a tagline or an image that compliments your logo. The choice is up to you.

For example, YellowWood Wealth Solution’s Facebook Page uses an image pulled right from their website:

3. Writing Your “About” Section

One of the key areas of your company Facebook page is your “About” section. This section includes your business address, a map, phone number, a company website link, and your office hours. 

Listing these elements on social media provides a second touch-point for potential clients to find and connect with your business. For example, Arazon Financial Group provides an “About” section that contains pertinent contact information, ensuring that potential clients can reach their firm whether they found their site, or social media. 

4. Page vs. Post “Likes”

Page “likes” are the users or businesses who “follow” your company’s Facebook page to stay up to date with your posts/updates. Post “likes” are from users who see your latest updates and “like” them. Post “likes” can help increase the reach and engagement or your business page’s posts – consequently increasing the potential traffic, and therefore “like” your business page receives. 

Also, whenever you are “liking” other companies’ posts on Facebook, be sure that you’re logged in and “liking” from your business page. How do you make sure of this? Well, you can do this by clicking on the arrow pointing down at the top far right of your page and clicking “Use Facebook as____” or also by clicking on the small logo that may appear next to a post, which is around the comment text box area – allowing you to select the user.

5. Use Pins to Highlight Certain Posts 

One of the best features of Facebook for business is being able to “Pin to top” which helps you keep your posts at the top of your Page. The pinned post will then be the first post to appear on your business page, which is a great way to attract attention to an important update or event.

For example, a while back we released an update to our users’ blogging experience. We wanted to highlight this to let our users know, so we pinned the post at the top of the Twenty Over Ten Facebook page.

6. How do you fix a typo after publishing?

Fear not! A few years ago, Facebook came up with the “Edit Post” feature to help fix any typos or changes in information.

To edit a post, click on the ellipsis-like button in the upper-right, opening a dropdown menu. From here you can click “Edit Post” to change the details of your post.

Here’s an example from the Twenty Over Ten Facebook page:

7. Include Images and Video to Increase Engagement

As we scroll through Facebook, images and videos often catch our eye, increasing the chance of engagement.

If you don’t have access to video or custom photos, then don’t worry. Using a simple stock image can help as well. The key is to attract the eye but to really garner the attention you’ll need to provide a reason to stick around.

To do this, make sure your post is written to highlight the benefits for the reader. For example, don’t type “Check out our latest blog post.” Instead, tell the reader why the content you’re sharing is beneficial, then introduce your content.

8. Engage Other Users

One of the best ways to attract followers is to be active on social media by engaging other users. To help, consider establishing a schedule for yourself to comment on at least 5 posts a day.

Engaging in this way inserts your business name into an ongoing conversation. The result can be increased traffic to your business page.

Note: This article was originally written by Maria Ortiz and published on March 25th, 2019. It has been updated to ensure consistency.