The importance of having a business Facebook page vs a personal profile
One of the questions that crops up the most from our clients is ‘why do I need a business Facebook page, can I not just use a personal one and what’s the difference?’ so, in this blog, we discuss the advantages of having a business page and why it will make you look more professional.
Firstly, you need to think about your business and the type of client you want to attract. If you are looking for consumers (rather than businesses) then Facebook may be right for you.
However, you also need to carefully consider if Facebook is actually where your ideal client will be (are they on Facebook or would Instagram be a better platform if you are targeting a younger audience for example).
It is important that you separate your personal page from your business page primarily because using your profile (personal page) for promotional and/or commercial purposes violates Facebook’s policies and could result in Facebook deleting your account.
These seven tips will ensure your business looks professional.
- To link up on a personal page you need to ‘accept’ a friend request – this means that you will get to see your client’s personal news feed and vice versa which doesn’t look very professional if you are posting pictures of your dinner, the family dog or a drunken night out! Not only that but it will be very unclear what your business does if you don’t set out a clear brand and strategy.
- A business page allows for a branded cover photo and public (not private like personal profiles) details about your company such as who you are, what you offer, prices, opening times, location, events, special offers and more. None of these options is available on personal pages so you are missing out on crucial information.
- Not everyone on your friends’ list will be interested in your business – this isn’t personal, it may just be that they are not your ideal customer, so imagine how annoying it’ll become if you keep posting about your business on your personal profile. If you create good content on your company page, then people will naturally want to follow it and engage if it’s of interest to them.
- As with all forms of marketing you should be evaluating your social media to see which posts gained more engagement, when your followers are online, where they are from etc. None of this is available on a personal profile so how can you be clear you’re meeting your social media goals?
- If you look after your own social media, you should try and allocate one day a week where you research, write and schedule your posts so that you form a strategy and don’t have a scattergun approach. Facebook offers its own free scheduling app (in the business suite) which is not possible to access from a personal profile.
- Only one person can manage a Facebook personal profile, but multiple members of your team can manage and contribute to a business page.
- Facebook (if it’s the right platform for you) offers very cost-effective and targeted advertising. You can set an overall budget and view analytics, a tool not available on a personal profile.
