It is la rentrée in France, when summer vacation is over and it is the return to the working day or back to school for kids. As a foreigner in France, I call it the ‘annual migration’ from the beach to the office. It is quite the sight to watch when most of the residential districts in Paris leave and head to the south of France. Bakeries and small businesses close up shop for a month long vacation and the crowded Metro becomes empty. Although for Alexis and I, it is a month to take a break from our normal routine and regroup our thoughts and figure out what are our next steps.

So with that being said, we apologize for the delay on posting, but both Alexis and I have been off throwing pitches and traveling for business this past summer. Now, we finally are trying to get back on track where we left off discussing Facebook.. In this post we will specifically look at the Facebook Page for businesses, blogs, causes, etc.

The Power of Facebook 

When I call my mom from France, she already knows what has happened in my week, thanks to Facebook. Facebook has seriously simplified my life. I only tell my story once. Also from a world away it is a great way to share photos of travels, and my life in France is no longer secret. When I come back to the States, most of my friends know what I have been up to and it is not a shock when I tell them I am ready for a new adventure such as ready to leave France and go back to the USA.

Why use Facebook to promote your business or blog?

• Facebook pages are free!
• Search Engine Optimization. They are open to search engines and help your website or blog get promoted.
• Build an online community. Pages can have an unlimited number of ‘fans’. You can send updates to your ‘fans’ and keep them informed about your business or product launch, etc.
• Create a discussion and get feedback. The Facebook page allows customers and clients to leave comments.
• Get Analytics and track success. Pages offer weekly reports to track analytics and there are ‘like’ buttons you can add to your website to gage positive reactions and track campaigns and strategies.
• Draw traffic back to your website using Facebook Connect and other Facebook application programs.

It is free and easy to make a page on Facebook and with a few simple clicks you have your very own page to share with friends. It is a great platform to use because it has the most frequent users. Your mom can even keep up with your business and promote it on her Facebook wall. With the growing popularity of Facebook among the baby boomer generation, there is bound to be a potential customer on Facebook.

Separating Personal and Business Posts …

Uh oh! Do you ever get a friend that posts about their business on their personal profile? Is it appropriate? Where is the boundary between personal and business posts? I get these questions often, and my solution is to create a Facebook Page. The beauty of a Facebook Page is that your friends and clients can choose to tune into your page on their own time and can opt to ‘like’ or become a fan of your business.

Facebook Personal Profile vs. Facebook Page

Creating a Facebook Page:

Helpful Links to Creating Your Facebook Page:

• To create a Community or Official Page, follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
• To create a Group Page, follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/  .
• Some helpful tips for Facebook pages: http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=414
• Official Game Book of Facebook Pages – http://www.facebook.com/FacebookPages
• User Guide Manual to Facebook – http://www.box.net/shared/9e5jiyl843
• Facebook for Websites / Facebook Connect – http://developers.facebook.com/docs/guides/web
• Add Facebook to your website: http://developers.facebook.com/

More resources:

• Social Media Examiner: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/promote-your-business-with-facebook/
• To create custom Facebook Apps: http://www.shortstack.com