UZoom Media's Online Marketing Blog

How Not To Set Up Your Business Facebook Page

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Ok, I will admit that this blog post was born out of frustration.  Too many times I have looked up a business on Facebook only to find that I must be their “Friend” in order to see their content.  WHAT?  REALLY?  It’s a business!  How would you like to go to a website only to have a screen pop up that says you cannot view it until you have been approved?  Not cool.  Now, while I understand that setting up your account in this manner allows you more options for messaging, here is my short list of why you SHOULD NOT do it.

1. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.  It’s against Facebook’s rules.  Now for those of you who have met me, you will realize that I generally believe that rules are guidelines and while not meant to be broken outright, can and should be bent in the right circumstances.  However…when you set up your Facebook page, you check that little box that says that you agree to their terms and conditions.  Part of those terms and conditions state that you are a “person.”  If you violate these rules, you run the risk of having your Facebook page shut down without recourse.  This means that you lose access to all of the “Friends” you have connected to and every piece of content you have uploaded.  I know of local companies that this has happened to.  Why would you run this risk?
2. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.  When I search out a business on Facebook, I am looking for instant information.  When many businesses set their page up as a person, they inadvertently don’t set the privacy settings so that anyone can see their wall.  I don’t want to wait for information.  I want it now.  That’s why I’m on the Internet!
3. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.  When I find a business that I “Like” I can suggest that business to my friends.  I can either “select all” or select individuals whom I think might like that business as well.  If you set your business as a person, you can’t do this.  You can only suggest to the people to the business.  This is time intensive and misleading, and people just don’t do it this way.  You are not allowing your business access to the viral nature of social media.
4. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.  Individuals are not allowed custom graphic tabs that allow users to land in a branded environment, show coupons, maps for multiple locations, and most importantly, capture user information for future marketing efforts. 
5. You're cutting off your nose to spite your face.  Facebook limits an individual to 5,000 friends.  Once your business becomes wildly popular, you will be limiting your own reach.
6. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face. A Facebook profile cannot be part of your search engine optimization strategy. Search engines index Facebook fan pages, not profiles! If you are trying to build your brand, people should be able to find you easily.
7. You're cutting off your nose to spite your face (do you sense a theme here?)  Individuals are not allowed to set up Pay-Per-Click campaigns within Facebook, which is a highly targetable, highly efficient, cost effective way to advertise your business!