Efe Can Gul | Facebook Business Page, Not Your Facebook Profile - Every Time

Business No-Brainers: Why You Should Use A Efe Can Gul Facebook Business Page Not Your Facebook Profile!

I was compelled to write this three-part article after meeting so many business owners who have not yet realized the benefits of a Business Page for their brand, products, or services and are, in my opinion, really missing a trick. And then there are those who either misunderstand the separate entity concept of a Facebook Business Page or mistakenly think that it gives people a portal to their private lives online. I have even met business owners who to my dismay have set up multiple Facebook accounts with separate log-ins - so much unnecessary work for them.

1. Personal vs. Private

A Facebook Profile and Business Page are (nearly) mutually exclusive and lead very separate lives providing you always remember to post updates as your Page. Whilst there is a limit to what is 'public' on your Facebook Profile unless somebody is friends with you, if you are still concerned about the distinction, it doesn't do any harm to lock down the settings even further if you wish to - Facebook gives you the flexibility and control to do this.

On the flip side, putting yourself in the shoes of your family and friends, they probably don't want to see an update on your business every time they log in to Facebook the same as you wouldn't want to read about a friend's job every time you did. Of course, if they have chosen to Like your Business Page then it's a different story but keeping the two separate in the first place gives everybody the option and upholds an individual's preferences.

Thereafter you have one universal log-in and there is no limit to the number of pages you can create and administer.

2. It's Not About You!

There is nothing more frustrating than clicking on a Facebook icon on a website for it to then take you to somebody's Facebook Profile. This looks amateurish and as if you don't have a handle on how to use Facebook for business. I have lost count of the number of times this has happened to me and when it does, rather than taking the time to find out if there is, in fact, a separate Page, I simply turn off and close the webpage.

I am not personally in the habit of sending friend requests to people I don't know, but say in this instance I did? So, I've landed on a Facebook Profile by clicking on the Facebook follow button on a website and sent a friend request. This has now been accepted. BUT I still don't receive business updates, but rather the photos, comments, friend updates, etc. of not only the person in question but their friends as well who I equally don't know from Adam. Have I made my point?

3. Brand Newsfeed

A Page Newsfeed or Timeline is the equivalent of your Email Marketing on Facebook and underpins your success in reaching and engaging with people. Think of it as a person's inbox to which you deliver your entire Business Page related news, i.e. a Newsletter to which Fans have subscribed to. With the added bonus of a far lower unsubscribe rate, no reliance on subscribers forwarding it to their friends (albeit with an incentive for doing so built-in), it is far less time-consuming to keep up to date and a sentence or two is all it takes for you to potentially obtain new Fans and increased exposure.

But let's also not forget the reverse, because what you read from others in your own Page Newsfeed will not only provide a wealth of inspiration and material for your own content ideas but also provide further opportunities for you to comment on the posts of others and be seen by their Fan/Friends.

The bottom line is that without your Page Newsfeed, you wouldn't be seen or noticed on Facebook - it really does embody the Domino Effect!

In essence, your Page Newsfeed equals increased exposure for your business/brand, invaluable insights into what you are saying most resonates with people but also provides ample opportunities for conversations with new audiences.

Just make sure that you are using Facebook as your Business Page to comment/post on the Business Pages of others.

4. Tagging & Commenting As Your Page

Isn't it great when your friends and family Tag you in photos you didn't know you were in or at a location you were both at? All well and good but imagine if your Facebook Business Page name could only be Tagged or commented on by them - it would be a very limited audience, right?

Well, it's a good job that this isn't the case - another highly advantageous feature of Pages is that in addition to those who Like your Page, any Business Page owner can Tag/comment on your Business Page which opens it right out to a viral audience. And of course, each time they do this, you are maximizing the number of Newsfeeds your Business Page name appears in and ultimately not how many Fans see it but also their own Fans too which offers rich pickings in terms of engagement and new fans.

5. Sky's The Limit!

Did you know that a Facebook Profile is limited to 5,000 friends? Not that I know anybody with that number and if I did, I'm pretty sure they'd be too thinly spread to ever spend any time with yours truly!

A Facebook Business Page is a different story with no limit to the number of Likes it can receive. Whilst 5,000 friends on a Facebook Profile might be met with scorns of derision about its authenticity if you've got 5,000 or more Likes on your Business Page you're going to be held in pretty high regard. But why stop there?!

6. Google Search Results

Whilst it is key that your online activity focuses on driving traffic back to your website, Social Media is the lifeblood of your overall online presence. Facebook Pages are indexed by Google which means that they are optimized for search engines. So the more active you are the more visible your business will be in a search resulting in an increased online presence and active and prolific impression on Social Media.