Discover the True Value of Facebook for Your Business

Facebook is not only for fun and socializing. This popular social networking site can lead your business to success. Learn more about its background so you can use it more effectively to achieve your business goals.

History of Facebook

On February 4, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, Mark’s college roommate at Harvard University, founded Facebook. Initially, only the Harvard students could join. Later, the founders made the website accessible to other schools in Boston. The Ivy League, several American and Canadian universities, and corporations also joined Facebook. The website finally opened to the public in September 2006. Facebook required users to be at least 13 years old and with a valid email address.

How Many People Use Facebook Today?

As of September, 2018, Facebook had 2.27 billion active users. “Active users” is defined as the number of Facebook users who have logged in to the website in the last thirty days.

What is the Difference between a Facebook Profile, a Page, and a Group?

A Facebook profile, a Page, and a Group are not the same. You need to know the difference between them to choose the best option for your business.

What is a Facebook Profile?

A profile is a personal page that contains basic details about you – where you live, where you studied, where you work, etc. Unlike a Page and a Group, a Facebook Profile has more privacy options. Thus, you can make your photos and personal details visible only to your friends or to yourself. You can have only one profile, but many Pages that are linked to it. If you already have a profile on Facebook, it is very easy to create a Page or a Group. On the blue ribbon at the top of your profile page, click the inverted triangle icon at the far right and use the drop-down menu to create either a Page or a Group. The advantage of having a profile first and then, creating a Page or a Group for business, is that you will have greater access for networking. Business account users without profiles cannot view other users’ profiles or pages or interact with them; they only have access to their own Pages and Ads. Likewise, a Facebook profile is only for personal purposes. It means you cannot post business-related content on it. If you do, it could lead to permanent suspension of your account.

What is a Facebook Page?

A Facebook page is more suitable for public figures, organizations, or businesses. Unlike your profile, a Facebook page is visible to all users by default. People who click “like” on the page will receive updates about the business or organization. These updates will appear on their News Feed via timeline posts. While you can have only one Facebook profile, you can have more business pages to gain more followers. Business pages offer several features that a profile or group cannot, such as:

• Adding CTA or Calls-to-Action Buttons
• Scheduling your posts by using Sprout Social or Hootsuite (As of August 1, 2018, Hootsuite can no longer post to personal profiles, only to Pages or Groups.)
• Managing the sections and adjusting the page layout. Just hover through the title bar of a section shown on the left side like photos, people, or about.
• Using Page Moderation to block some words, both on the posts and comments. Also, you can use the Profanity Filter to block vulgarity from your page.
• Turning on the “Similar Page Suggestions” boosts organic reach and gains more followers.
• Adding event apps to a Facebook page.

What is a Facebook Group?

A Facebook group allows you to connect to people who have the same interests as yours. It’s where people gather together and share interesting and useful content related to their topic of interest. Unlike a Facebook page, a group can be either public or private. When you choose public, it will be open to everybody. Private group access is open only to specific users. It can also be a closed group where users need your approval before they become official members and the group can be a secret from the search engine and from anyone outside the group. In a group, as admin, you can also remove those members who have violated the group rules. A Facebook group has unique interesting features, such as:

• It allows the admins to report problems and ask questions straight to Facebook.
• Facebook groups now offer educational resources intended for admins. These resources will help them determine the best strategy for their business.
• A new group rules feature allows admins to inform members about the violated rules if and when they delete a post.
• Admins can also review and approve every post before publishing on the group’s wall.

Collaborating using Facebook Business Manager

Facebook introduced certain tools for businesses. One of them is Facebook Business Manager. You can use it when:

• Working with a client partner or agency
• Handling different ad accounts and business pages
• Granting page permissions with various access levels offered to all members
• Requesting access to other ad accounts and pages.
• Assigning access directly to your colleagues and partners. Thus, you do not need to add them to your personal Facebook profile. All you need are their email addresses. After granting access, you can already invite or remove members. You can also manage and control their actions per section.

The Different Facets of Facebook and Its Options for Your Business

Facebook is now the No.1 social media website for businesses. Its power to generate traffic to your business is astounding. A Facebook page can benefit your business in many ways. For starters, it’s a low-cost way to introduce and promote your business. You can use Facebook Places in making your business more visible on Facebook. Facebook Places allows people to “check in” at a specific place on their smartphones. This way, their Facebook friends will see where they are. (They can also use the “check-in” feature from their own profile page.) Facebook Places can also identify other nearby places or businesses. Thus, you can use it to offer discounts, loyalty rewards, or freebies to your target market.

What is the Right Size for Your Facebook Photo and Cover Photo?

A Facebook profile picture appears as 160 x 160 pixels, but it should be created and uploaded as a 360 x 360 pixels. A recommended cover photo size is 820 x 360 pixels, with all of the important text in the center of the image, not close to the edges. This is because Facebook doesn’t stretch your photo to fit the background. Instead, it crops your cover photo on the edges in different mobile devices. For best results for your cover photo on all mobile devices, keep text at least 90 pixels away from the left and right edges, and 24 pixels away from the top and bottom edges. Design it that way so you won’t risk cropping critical text by repositioning your picture after uploading it. (Facebook often changes its layout, which affects picture sizes and appearances, so frequently check your pages on a mobile device to ensure that nothing critical has been cropped from your photos.)

Facebook is Essential to Business

Using Facebook to promote a business was once considered optional. Now, it is essential to establish a Facebook presence for your business or brand. Whether you choose to use a Profile, a Page, a Group, or a Place, Facebook has your business covered with a social network of billions of users who can easily find your company using the search feature of the site. Happy posting! Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Facebook https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_virtual_communities_with_more_than_100_million_active_users https://www.lifewire.com/facebook-profile-page-group-1240583 https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/facebook-business-manager-beginners-infographic https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/marketing-sales/marketing-promotion/online-marketing/facebook/benefits https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/images-size-facebook-cover-photo-profile-photo-130028673.html https://help.hootsuite.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006837814-Facebook-Profile-and-Page-changes-07-17-18 https://blog.photofeeler.com/facebook-profile-picture-size/ https://blog.snappa.com/facebook-cover-photo-size/ https://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-create-business-not-attached-profile-facebook-28344.html