Build a Facebook Fanpage in 3 Simple Steps

Facebook, the most popular social networks in the world, has now become one of the most powerful online marketing tools. Businesses everywhere are beginning to use Facebook fan pages to promote their business and connect with the millions of users who log onto Facebook every day. These fan pages are easy to create, manage, and use, and are perfect for anyone looking for a cheap and effective marketing strategy.

Whether you’re a successful businessman, a starving blogger, or a world renounced singer, using Facebook fan pages can help you reach out and expose yourself to the millions of people on Facebook. With over 500 million users on Facebook (and quickly growing), just imagine the number of potential customers you could dig up!

In today’s How-to, I’ll  guide you through the steps of creating and customizing your own Facebook fan page. Get ready to get some fans!

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Pages vs Groups?

Before I get started, I’d like to address the differences between Facebook Pages and Groups. Both tools have similar features, and it’s very easy for users to get confused about which they should be using. To make things easier on you, here are some differences between Facebook Groups and Facebook Pages:

• Facebook Pages are indexed by search engines while Groups are not.
• Groups can only send messages to 5,000 members. There is no limit for Pages.
• Groups are run by administrators who post under their own name, while Pages post under the business they represent.
• Group admins can restrict access to unapproved members or make the group invite only.
• Pages support applications.

Simply put, if you’re looking to create something for a school club or small organization, then you should start a Facebook Group. If you’re looking for a way to promote your business or website, read on and learn how to create your own Facebook fan page.

Building Your Fan Page:

Ready to build your own fan page? The actual process of building the fan page is quite simple, but customizing the page can get quite complex. Here’s how you can build own Facebook fan page in 3 simple steps.

Step 1: Find the Page Creation Menu

The hardest part of creating a fan page is the fine the place on Facebook where you actually create the page. Apparently, the developers at Facebook didn’t want too many fan pages popping up because they hid the page creation menu quite well. You’ll have to do a little digging to find it. There are many ways of accessing the page creation menu, so I decided to list multiple ways below. Use the method that is the most convenient for you.

Method 1: The easiest way to get to the start creating Facebook Pages is to log out of Facebook (if you’re logged in of course). Look under the “Sign Up” box and click on the “Create a Page” link.

Method 2: If you’re too lazy to log out of Facebook, you can use this alternate method. To get started, click on the “Advertising” link on the bottom of any Facebook page.

Find and click on the “Facebook Page” link.

Click the “Create a Page” button near the top of the screen.

Method 3: Click on this link.

Step 2: Create Your Fan Page

Now that you’ve finally found that evasive page creation menu, you’re ready to create your new page!

This section is very self explanatory. Select what type of page you want to create and name the page accordingly. Try to be as accurate as possible when describing your page because this will help others find your page.

When you’re satisfied, click on the “Create Official Page” button and continue.

Step 3: Edit Your Page Information

After you create your page, you’ll be presented with a screen that allows you to customize many aspects of your new fan page.

Upload a profile picture and start updating your status!

That’s it! Congratulations on creating your first Facebook fan page!

Now What?

Now that you’ve got your new fan page created, what’s next? Of course, you could just leave everything as it, but I don’t think your fans will be very impressed with an ugly fan page. Let’s take a look at some neat things you can do with your new fan page.

Invite Some Friends:
The first thing you want to do after you set up your new fan page is to invite some friends. You can’t have a fan page without any fans, right? Just click the “Suggest to Friends” button under the profile picture and choose some friends you want to invite. Unfortunately, I can’t show you what it looks like because I don’t have any Facebook friends.

Set A Custom URL:
If you take a look at your page’s URL, you’ll notice that it’s a mess. There’s no way anybody would be able to remember that! Luckily, you can create a custom URL for your fan page. The only catch is that your page needs at least 25 fans. Head over to www.facebook.com/username/ and set a username. This will make it much easier to share and promote your Facebook page.

Customize Wall Permissions:
Depending on the type of fan page you want, you may or may not want fans posting or commenting on your page. To change these permissions, click on the “Wall” tab of your page and click the “Settings” link.

Add Applications:
The great thing about Facebook pages is that you can add Facebook applications to your page. Get a tab for Twitter, RSS, polls, and more. Find an application you like in the Facebook Apps directory and add it to your page. (Note: Not all apps can be added to your page)

If you’re serious about tweaking your fan page, then I highly recommend you read Justin’s amazing article on apps to customize your Facebook Fan Page.

You can manage your applications by clicking the “Edit Page” button and scrolling to the Applications section.

Tip: Need some inspiration on creating a cool fan page? Check out our roundup of the best Facebook fan pages!

Final Thoughts

While Facebook may not appear to be a great platform for attracting customers/readers, if you have an awesome fan page and play your cards right, you just might see a huge influx of new visitors. Besides, it doesn’t hurt to try! While you’re at it, don’t forget to be a fan of the Web.Appstorm Facebook page. Also, be sure to check out 35 of the Best Facebook Fan Pages!

Do you think Facebook fan pages are useful? Have a Facebook fan page that you’re proud of? Know of any other tricks for customizing a fan page? Share your thoughts below in the comments!