Optimizing your business Page will ensure you make a great first impression and offer a more valuable experience for your visitors.
You’ll build credibility by providing the accurate, complete information they’re looking for, while also improving how your Facebook Page informs Google. Making an effort to implement the following best practices will bring you closer to achieving your overall marketing goals while improving your Page visibility and follower engagement.
1. Perfect your profile photo.
Your profile picture will appear as your icon every time you post and when you comment on other posts. We recommend using your business logo as your profile photo. If this isn’t possible, a great second option is your friendly, up-close, smiling face. By stripping your company name and/or slogan out of the image (see before and after below), your logo will be displayed larger and centred, which is ideal.
2. Revamp your cover photo.
Your cover photo appears across the top of your Page and is a great opportunity to deliver a visual element that supports your branding, draws attention to a product, service or event, or elicits emotion from your visitors. Steer away from stock photos and be authentic by choosing an image of your store, your products, or a custom image from a current marketing campaign.
It’s also important to ensure your cover photo is straight, centred, crisp, and sized properly to look good on desktop and mobile (check that your graphics/text aren’t cut off on mobile.) Recommendation: ideal dimensions for your cover photo are 312px X 820px.
Cover Photo Inspiration
3. Choose the best CTA.
A call-to-action (CTA) makes it clear to potential customers which action to take next. The CTA button on your Page (located right below your cover photo) needs to effectively communicate what they can expect when they click the button, and you need to deliver on that expectation.
For example, if you choose Learn More as your CTA, when your viewer clicks it, they should land somewhere that enables them to learn more, such as your website. If it’s Sign Up, they need to be able to actually sign up for your webinar, newsletter, etc. once they’ve clicked it. Book Now means they will have access to info that will enable them to book an appointment, and so on.
4. Complete the About section.
Google indexes Facebook Business Pages, so the text you include on your profile can help you rank in global and local search engine results. To get the most out of your Page, add details about your company or organization in all the available sections.
Description: Add a short description to your Page so that visitors know what kind of services your business offers. Keep your description brief (1–2 sentences).
Contact Info: Add a phone number, website and email address. People who visit your Page can access this information to get in touch with you.
Location: If your business or organization has a physical location, add an address so that people know where to visit you. Make it even easier for customers to find your business on the map by adding details about your location. Go to Page Info. Under Location, answer the questions.
Hours: Add (and continually update) your business hours. Customers want to know when your business will be open, particularly during holidays and special events. If you don’t update your hours, your business may appear closed and discourage people from visiting.
Categories: Select the categories that best describe your business to help people find your business when they search for your services or products. You can select up to 3 categories in your Page Settings. Select the most specific category for your business to maximize visibility in searches and make your Page easier to find. Learn more about how to choose a category on your Page.
Additional Info: If you have a website, add it to your Facebook Page. Make it easy for potential customers to learn more about your business.
5. Turn on Recommendations.
Let customers submit a review/recommendation for your Page; this is valuable information that will increase their trust in your business. Recommendations also allow your Page to appear in searches for specific terms. And remember, word of mouth is a really valuable tool for gaining new customers. Learn how to turn on Recommendations.
6. Pin a post.
Did you share an exciting announcement on your Facebook page? Is your business offering a discount or a seasonal special? Did you just publish a comprehensive FAQ or how-to guide for your business?
Pinning these important posts keeps them at the top of your Page rather than losing them in the shuffle as they disappear on your busy timeline. To pin content, find the post you want to highlight, click the three dots in the upper-right corner of the post and select Pin to Top of Page in the drop-down menu.
Note: While we’ve focused on Facebook throughout this article, remember that the basic information applies to all social platforms. You should strive to have all profile sections completed, and the same information should show up consistently across all platforms.