Facebook for Business - General Information

Facebook Facts

• Facebook launched in 2004 as a "Social Network" Service
• Created by Mark Zukerberg
• See "Social Network" for a backgound and history
• As of July, 2010 - Over 500 million active users
• Number One most used social network server
• Estimated 41.6% of U.S. population has a Facebook account
• Revenue US$800 Million
• No profit shown
• Employees 1700+
• "Social Network" tool lends itself well as a "Business Network" tool
• Many businesses, including Federal Government, have a presence on Facebook

Facebook Options

• Personal Account
• Business or Organization Page
• Either or BOTH of above
• An individual CANNOT have 2 Facebook Accounts - violation of agreement terms
• Page only has limitations
• Recommed getting a personal account FIRST, then create your Business Page
• Personal 'Friends' and Business Page 'Friends' can (and usually are) different

Facebook Considerations

• Used in conjunction with a business or organization's website / cross linked
• Can be updated frequently by anyone with password and a browser
• Special Software and special training not required
• Can be kept up to date easier with cost effectiveness
• Still requires time and effort
• The time and effort required falls off rapidly after initial setup and after user becomes more familiar

Getting Started

• Facebook Comprehensive Help: www.facebook.com/help/

• Create Facebook Account
• Go to: www.facebook.com
• User Name - First & Last
• Valid Email Address
• NOTE: BE SURE to ADD a SECOND Email address to your facebook account - ESPECIAILLY if you use a gmail or ymail or similar email service.
• Password - NOTE: this is NOT your email account password - it is a password you create for Facebook
• Facebook and Email passwords may be the same - for SECURITY, should be DIFFERENT passwords
• You [Facebook] Email Address and [Facebook] Password are used to Login to Facebook
• Keep your password secure - use Upper & Lower Case, non-alpha character, number and possibly punctuation or other symbol.

• Create Facebook Page
• Read Facebook Pages Product Guide: www.facebook.com/advertising/FacebookPagesProductGuide.pdf
• Or START with reading HELP: Pages for Business" - Go to (from Help): www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
• " ...only the official representative of an organization, business, celebrity, or band is permitted to create a Page."
• Pages are not separate Facebook accounts and do not have separate login information from your profile.
• There is no limit to the number of admins a Page can have.

• Business Account Only
• Business accounts are designed for individuals who only want to use the site to administer Pages and their ad campaigns. For this reason, business accounts do not have the same functionality as personal accounts. Business accounts have limited access to information on the site. An individual with a business account can view all the Pages and Social Ads that they have created, however they will not be able to view the profiles of users on the site or other content on the site that does not live on the Pages they administer. In addition, business accounts cannot be found in search and cannot send or receive friend requests.

The absolute BEST way to obtain accurate and pertinent help, have questions answered and learn about Facebook in general is through the comprehensive Facebook HELP Area: www.facebook.com/help/

More information

For a thrid party review of Facebook, comparisons to other social media and other background information, see:

Wikipedia article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook
Plus you can do a Google/Yahoo or other search on "Facebook" for more information

Local Examples - Websites Linked to a Facebook Page

City of Whitesboro - PARD (Parks And Recreation Department)

Website:  www.WhitesboroTexas.com/PARD
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/Whitesboro-Parks-and-Recreation-Department/98873555652

Website:  www.RedRiverValley.info
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/Red-River-Valley-Tourism-Assoc/370918759719

Screenshot / Facebook.com:

Screenshot / Facebook Help::