According to Facebook, there are more than 2.5 billion monthly users. Facebook is the largest social media network in the WORLD! In fact, 85% of consumers trust reviews posted online as much as personal recommendations, according to Bright Local. And that it takes seven read reviews before a customer trusts a business.

Additionally, a 2017 study found that 57% of consumers say that social media influences their purchasing decisions. Of that 57%, 44% said Facebook of all social media platforms was the most influential.

Read on as we walk you through an easy-to-follow step-by-step Facebook setup guide. You can have your Facebook business page up and running in 15 minutes, 30 minutes tops!

Step 1. Login to Facebook.com/business, this will take you to “Create a Page” seen at the top. You’ll be greeted with a choice of business types, including local businesses or places, brands or products, and causes or communities. Select the type of Facebook business description idea you’re creating the business page for. (what is your category) Click start

Step 2. After choosing your category, you should see the page below. Simply fill in your information based on the choices you have made. Enter the name and category of your business page. As you start typing, suggestions will appear. Choose the most related business description. Enter your business profile information.

Step 3:

Add your company logo or a personal photo for your Facebook cover page. If you are branding yourself, as I am, then a personal photo of your choosing will suffice. However, once you click “upload photo”, you will be asked if you want to set up your business page for appointment booking. It will look like the page below. If you click “not now”, it continues to upload your image. (The example photo is the following photo)

Step 4. Click “upload photo” there you should see the image you uploaded. Facebook will then prompt you to optimize your page.

In the small box, Facebook asks that you send a request to your friends to like your page. You can also click the View All button and all the likes for your personal Facebook page will be populated.

Inviting your personal likes to your business page will give you a boost to promote your page. Plus, it’s the gateway to Facebook’s vault of mnemonic URLs. This hidden advantage becomes accessible when you reach 25 likes on the business page.

Step #5. Click Settings, then General, then Publish this Page… Finish! That’s it. You created your Facebook page for your small business, an important step towards building your brand and therefore growing your business!

Now the real work begins!!!

Your Facebook page is activeIt’s time to share your page with friends and family. I liked this for opening a brick and mortar. Plan your grand opening so your target market knows you’re open for business.

Also, keep in mind that there are some other tactics that you will have to learn. Optimization, promotion and content creation are among the first. If you think of your Page as an extension of your business, you’ll be fine.

Lastly, as with any new strategy, there is always a learning curve. With that in mind, be sure to read the other Facebook marketing post on our website.