Facebook Page Fundamentals for Local Small Businesses and Brands

Facebook for local pages

The growth of local business is attributed to the Filipino entrepreneurs, the driving force of the micro and small enterprises that not only provides employment to Filipinos, but also generate revenue for taxation. We have met a lot of amazing entrepreneurs with the GoNegosyo movement that empowers Filipinos to build their dreams through pursuing passions and transforming it into a sustainable livelihood source.






With such movement and more Filipinos such as the Overseas Filipino Workers returning home to finally start their own businesses, the youth being more inclined to being entrepreneurs than pursue a corporate career and the power of the internet that makes information much more accessible for resources, small businesses and brands are booming in the Philippines.

We take pride that we are helping various companies in the Philippines reach their target markets, sales quotas and defined ROI with our distinctive SEO brand tailored for the dynamic Philippine search culture.

It is not just SEO that we offer, we also help small business owners level the field through defining their strengths, agility in the changing consumer preference and emerging online cultures. Here are our Five Star Facebook Marketing Tips for Small Businesses in the Philippines:


1. Create a Facebook Page and NOT a Profile Page

We see a lot of small businesses in facebook that does not have a facebook page, instead they have a profile page. Instead of adding more likes, they are adding friends. Facebook pages are intended for brands as well as commercial products and services. Facebook profiles are personal by nature and should not be your brand's entity on Facebook. If you are thinking about creating a facebook page for your business, we recommend it. You can use your personal profile to manage it with one navigation instead of logging out an logging in to your Facebook Profile for your business. Consumers would rather connect with you commercially by LIKING and not share their privacy by accepting you as a friend.



2. Impressive Facebook Cover and Profile Photo

First impressions last and the same applies on Facebook. The cover and profile photo are the first thing that Facebook visitors to your page see. So make an impression with the first glance by carefully designing those. Are you a small business owner with no graphic design skills? No problem, a lot of stalls in commercial printing have logo design that they can print and give you a soft copy. You can avail of those services for cheap and that bodes well for your logo and branding aspirations to be identified.

Facebook Cover = A good photograph with Hi-Resolution image is best. There are free photo editing software online such as Pixlr that will help you embed graphics or texts without the need for photoshop skills. 

Facebook Profile Photo = The small boxed photo that appears below your cover. A logo or brand image is recommended and is advocated by branding gurus. 



 3. Claim your customized URL

Make your Facebook page easier to remember by potential referrals for more LIKES and social participation. facebook.com/Cafe for example is more digestible than facebook.com/Cafe8727978 certainly. Make your customized or vanity URL be the name of your brand or establishment name. If you will be printing banners or locally known as tarpaulins, you can have your Facebook page address be printed for more LIKES with people who can access Facebook over their phones using mobile internet.




 4. List your business address correctly.

This is very important. People will refer your page to friends and associate where an incorrect listing of your business page can hurt your brand. 

Here's How:

1. Click EDIT PAGE
2. From the drill down menu click Update Page Info.
3. From the Address section fill out the form correctly. 
4. In the interactive map, drag and drop the pointer to your correct location. Note: It may take a few hours for the business address information to appear on your page, so be patient and just correctly point your location.

As a bonus, people can check in on your business establishment once they visit. "Check-Ins" in most status updates where friends can tag friends and those updates can be seen. Curiosity stems that could lead to more likes for your page. In the Facebook mobile apps, there is a function called Nearby Places that makes it easier for searchers to navigate establishment and hopefully, find your brand.


 5. Post Regularly.

The more you post, the better that your followers can LIKE and comment on your posts. It enhances your page's visibility with their respective timelines and their connected peers. Posts must not always be pure promotional. You must appeal to their needs and be timely with it. Example is a posting about the current chilly rainy season. You have a cafe, post a heart-warming message with a cool photograph. I guarantee more LIKES and shares for it. Keep an open mind and an open heart, you are essentially communicating as a brand, and not a pushy salesman. They will appreciate you for it. Bottom-line is be creative in both expression and communication, the types of posts that engages your audience are endless.

  
Knowing the best practices of the bigger businesses and established brands through social media will help your business be agile and operate in good standards, regardless of the industry.