Did you know there are over 400 million people on facebook? And that nearly 1.5 million local businesses have an active facebook fan page? According to the facebook press room statistics, the average user has 130 fans – meaning that when a user becomes a fan of your practice, it’s broadcast to their network of (on average) at least 100 people. Reports suggest that facebook is quickly becoming one of the most popular sites for search and information.
So – how do you get started? It’s simple. And free! Follow these steps:
How to Get Started: Facebook Fan Page
1. Log into Facebook (if you do not have an account, simply go to www.facebook.com and follow the steps to creating an account—it’s free and easy).*
2. Type this address into your browser: http://www.facebook.com/advertising/
3. At the top of the page, click on Pages.
4. Click on the green button that says Create a Page. Select the categoryyou’re your business – “Local” if you have one location, or “Brand, Product or Organization” if you have multiple locations. Select the type of business (under the “Local” category, choose medical service, under the “Brand, Product or Organization” category, choose Professional Service), then create a name for your page (ex. XYZ Eye Care). When setting up your page, be sure to include:
- Images (pictures of your practice, videos you’ve created, etc.)
- Description of your practice, location, hours of operation
- Press releases mentioning your company
- Links to your website
5. Promote your fan page by putting the facebook logo on your website, send out an email with a link to your fan page, and put your Facebook information on business cards.
6. Invite others to become a fan of your fan page, but remember, facebook is about creating and maintaining a relationship. It’s not all about the numbers. Engage in conversations with your customers.
*Your personal facebook page will be separate from your fan page for your practice. You can also create privacy settings on your personal page so that only a certain group of your contacts that you select can view your entire profile. (Click on Settings, then in the drop-down box, click on Privacy Settings and you can alter the privacy of your profile; how you are searched; and the news feed, wall, and applications of your profile. To restrict viewers, click on profile, then in the drop-down box, select Customize and you can specify which people you would like to allow for full-viewing of your information.)
Do you have a fan page story to share? Did you promote your page in a creative way? We want to hear it - leave us a comment and we may feature your success story in an upcoming blog post!