Why should a landscape business create a Facebook page?

It’s nothing new that businesses are joining Facebook. After all, it’s still where a lot of people (including your current and potential customers) spend their time. Businesses from every industry are finding that social media sites, like Facebook, allow them to build better relationships with customers and their community, promote their business, and help generate sales!

Here are a few simple steps for getting started with your business Facebook page. 

1: Sign Up & Create a Page

If you don’t have a Facebook account: Decide if you’d like a personal account, or a business account. With a business account you can create and manage your page, but other Facebook features may be limited. If you don’t plan on ever using Facebook for personal friendships, this is a good option. Start a business account by going to facebook.com, and clicking the Create a Page link below the sign up box. 

If you already have a personal Facebook account, or you decide to create one,  set up your personal profile, then click on the Create a Page link on the bottom of the page. As you enter your business or company name, make sure to check it for the capitalization, punctuation and typos! 

2: Build Your Page 

Add a profile picture: This could be your logo, an example of your work, or maybe you and your crew. 

Beef up your company information: Include information about your background, your mission, what services you offer, what areas you serve, etc.

Create a photo album: Post a few more photos that relate to your business: Some candid and posed photos of you and your staff, more projects you have completed, etc. Adding photos will help people identify with your company and will give your Facebook fans something to look at once they find your page.

Post your status: Write a welcoming status message on your Page wall. For example, “Hey friends. We’ve just joined Facebook! We’re looking forward to hearing from you.”

3: Start Finding Your Fans

Once you’ve finished the basics, it’s time to get some fans! You’ll notice that Facebook users will be able to “Like” your page by clicking the “Like” button on the page. This means the things you post on your page will show up on their Facebook newsfeed, and that’s a good thing.

To get likes, you’ll need to get the word out about your page!

• Send an email out to all your contacts, friends and customers to let them know your business is now on Facebook.
• Include a Facebook icon, or a “Like us on Facebook” message on your business cards, website and marketing materials.

And remember, a Facebook page isn’t the Field of Dreams—just because you build  it, doesn’t mean they’ll come. You’ll have to keep telling people about it!

4: Keep it Fresh!

Don’t let your Facebook page spoil! Keep it fresh and make sure to post something new every few days!

Remember, while you don’t pay to have a Facebook page, it isn’t exactly free marketing. It takes time and effort to market your business successfully on Facebook, so make sure you can regularly devote some time to it.

Now you know the basics to getting your business’s Facebook page started! In our next social media blog post, we’ll provide more ideas on how to use your Facebook page to promote your business!

Good luck and let us know how it goes! If you have tips of your own, share them in the comments below!