Best Facebook Page Add-Ons for Small Businesses

If you’ve been paying attention to SEO, and especially local SEO, you’re probably aware of the trend of using social media to engage with your audience. Facebook seems simple enough to use, especially for those who have personal profiles and have been on the site for years. Facebook Pages, however, is a completely different animal. Over 65 million businesses already have a business Facebook page set up and it’s time that you get on board or improve yours so that you can keep up with the competition. 

Doing that starts by knowing which features and add-ons are going to serve you most effectively. It’s easy to see other brands with 5,000 or 10,000 followers and think one of two things:

• That should be easy, right?
• I’ll never get that many followers!

No matter which side you fall on, you need to take the time to better understand Facebook and how it works for business, including the best practices for creating a page. That includes utilizing all of the available add-ons and Business Page features that come with your company profile. You aren’t going to get 10,000 followers overnight, but with these best practices, you can definitely increase your following and build a stronger page that will continue to serve you well in the future. 

With 80 million Pages out there already for various businesses, celebrities, and others, it’s important that you get yours just right if you’re going to stay ahead of the competition. 

Your Facebook business page: The basics

Before you can get into all the add-ons and features that will enhance your profile, you have to get the basic page setup in order. That means you need to start a page and then fill out all the information fully and completely. You should also consider things like SEO and optimization features but start with the basic setup to ensure that your foundation is solid. 

Choose a profile photo and cover photo for your page. These could/should use your company logo, pictures of employees/owners/etc., or anything else that allows you to present your brand and make a great first impression in the mind of your visitors. Make sure that you choose the right sizes for your photos so that they render properly. Your company logo is always a good bet for the profile image, and the cover image can be anything that complements it. 

You should also fill out the description completely, the “about” section, and any other details. Give as much information as you can and try to complete your profile as much as possible before you dive into all the extras. 

Buttons 

If you want to make it easy for your followers to take action, you should capitalize on the Buttons feature from Facebook for business pages. You can choose between a number of pre-set actions and set as many as you’d like. Facebook offers options like:

• Book services
• Learn more
• Get in touch
• Make a purchase
• Download app/game/etc. 

You can choose as few or as many of these as you want but remember that you shouldn’t use them just for the sake of using them. Make sure that they’re a part of your overall SEO strategy and optimization efforts for social media. You’ll be able to ensure that people don’t have to work hard to get from Facebook to your business website. 

Pages Manager app

Once you create a Facebook Page for your business, you’ll have access to the Facebook Pages Manager app, which will allow you to track customers, visitor activity, insights, and more. Plus, this app will allow you to manage as many as 50 pages at once, so if you have a couple of different ones for your company, you can streamline it and keep track of them all in one place. 

Livestream videos 

Facebook Live allows companies (and users) to stream videos like a live broadcast as they are happening. This can be ideal for companies who are trying to build their brand and have something to share. While any videos are a good choice for your page, live videos can definitely make people feel more engaged and show that your business is a real, personable entity. Make sure you practice first so that you don’t end up with filming snafus, of course. 

Hootsuite and similar tools 

Hootsuite is just one example of a scheduling and management tool that allows you to prep and set up Facebook posts in advance and on a set schedule. You can use it for Facebook and other social networks. It saves time and allows you to schedule posts outside of working hours so that you can reach the right audiences at the right time. If you want to post a weekend sale and you’re out of the office on the weekends, for example, this could be a great way to do it. 

Tools that help you manage your Facebook Page for business are going to revolutionize the way that you do things. It offers a level of automation that every company can benefit from. 

eCommerce platforms and add-ons 

Finally, we have one of the most important add-ons for businesses in the retail/sales world. You can add eCommerce tools to your Facebook Page for business, including Shopify, BigCommerce, and others. This way, people can shop directly with your company, and you can run targeted ad campaigns to find the best audiences. This is a great way to connect your eCommerce with your social profiles and optimization efforts and keep everything streamlined for potential customers. 

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And speaking of streamlined, you can also partner with the 24/7 virtual receptionists at Smith.ai to assist with lead intake, appointment scheduling, outreach campaigns, and even 24/7 answering service solutions so that you never miss a lead. We’ll work with you to develop a strategy for your admin and lead intake needs, no matter how big or small those may be. Learn more when you schedule a consultation or reach out to us at hello@smith.ai with any questions or needs you may have. 

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