Considering I have been getting “friend” requests from several local businesses, I felt that I may need to re-post this article on how to build your own Facebook “Page”. I feel the need to spread the word to local small businesses that creating a Facebook personal profile to become “friends” with others is strictly in violation of Facebooks’ policies. I have had a few friends get black listed or terminated from Facebook when they have been found out & I wouldn’t want this to happen to any of the local Outer Banks Small Businesses.
If you have already created a personal account for your business I have found an excellent article:
photo credit: Luigi Viscido
How to Convert Facebook Personal Profile Page to Business Page
or if you would prefer you can contact me directly 252-207-8530 and I can talk you through it or give you a quote on doing it for you.
The following is a series of quotes from Facebook’s Statement of Rights & Responsibilities concerning this issue.
This agreement was written in English (US). To the extent any translated version of this agreement conflicts with the English version, the English version controls. Please note that Section 16 contains certain changes to the general terms for users outside the United States.
Date of Last Revision: April 26, 2011.
Statement of Rights and Responsibilities
This Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (Statement) derives from the Facebook Principles, and governs our relationship with users and others who interact with Facebook. By using or accessing Facebook, you agree to this Statement.
4. Registration and Account Security
a. Facebook users provide their real names and information, and we need your help to keep it that way. Here are some commitments you make to us relating to registering and maintaining the security of your account:
b. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
c. You will not create more than one personal profile.
d. If we disable your account, you will not create another one without our permission.
e. You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain (such as selling your status update to an advertiser).
f. You will not use Facebook if you are under 13.
g. You will not use Facebook if you are a convicted sex offender.
h. You will keep your contact information accurate and up-to-date.
i. You will not share your password, (or in the case of developers, your secret key), let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account.
j. You will not transfer your account (including any page or application you administer) to anyone without first getting our written permission.
h. If you select a username for your account we reserve the right to remove or reclaim it if we believe appropriate (such as when a trademark owner complains about a username that does not closely relate to a user’s actual name).
12. Special Provisions Applicable to Pages
If you create or administer a Page on Facebook, you agree to our Pages Terms.
Facebook Pages Terms
1. Any user may create a Page; however, only an authorized representative of the subject matter may administer the Page. Pages with names consisting solely of generic or descriptive terms will have their administrative rights removed.
2. Content posted to Pages is public information and is available to everyone.
3. If you collect information from users, you will obtain their consent, make it clear you (and not Facebook) are the one collecting their information, and post a privacy policy explaining what information you collect and how you will use it.
4. You must not build or incorporate any functionality that identifies which users visit your Page.
5. Applications on your Page must comply with the Facebook Platform Policies.
6. You take full responsibility for any sweepstakes, contest, competition or similar offering on your Page and must comply with our Promotions Guidelines.
7. Third party advertisements on Pages are prohibited. Ads or commercial content on Pages must comply with our Advertising Guidelines.
8. You will restrict access to your Page as necessary to comply with all applicable laws and Facebook terms and policies.
9. You may not establish terms beyond those set forth in these terms to govern the posting of content by users on a Page.
10. Page names must:
a. not consist solely of a generic or descriptive term (e.g. “beer” or “pizza”);
b. use proper, grammatically correct capitalization and may not include excessive capitalization or use all capitals;
c. not include character symbols, including but not limited to excessive punctuation and trademark designations; and
d. not include taglines, superfluous descriptions, or unnecessary qualifiers. Campaign names and/or regional or demographic qualifiers are acceptable.
14. Termination
If you violate the letter or spirit of this Statement, or otherwise create risk or possible legal exposure for us, we can stop providing all or part of Facebook to you. We will notify you by email or at the next time you attempt to access your account. You may also delete your account or disable your application at any time. In all such cases, this Statement shall terminate, but the following provisions will still apply: 2.2, 2.4, 3-5, 8.2, 9.1-9.3, 9.9, 9.10, 9.13, 9.15, 9.18, 10.3, 11.2, 11.5, 11.6, 11.9, 11.12, 11.13, and 14-18.
My Original Post on How to Create a Facebook Page (also called Fan Page or Business Page)
Pages are used by businesses, organizations and other public entities to broadcast communications to those who are interested in what they’re doing and want to establish a connection with them. Using “applications” you can customize your page by adding video, photos, news feeds, audio, event announcements and more.
Only the owner or an authorized representative of a business, organization, etc can create a page. Once created, they can assign someone (an administrator) to assist with the management of the page.
Step 1: Setting Up The Page
a) Click “Create a Page” in the lower right corner of the your Facebook home page or click here to get started. Create Facebook Page
b) Select the type of page you want to create; Official Page or Community page. For this tutorial, I am creating an Official Page for a business.
c) Choose what the page is for (local business, product/organization, artist, band or public figure). You can narrow the focus using the drop-down that appears after you make the first selection.
d) Name your page using keywords related to your business.
e) Your must read and agree to the terms otherwise you cannot create a page.
f) Click Create Page when you’re finished.
Step 2: Go To Custom Settings Page
Sign in to your Facebook account & on the “home page” you should see a link under your profile picture for Ads & Pages. Click the link to enhance & customize your new page.
Step 3: Choosing Your Page Settings
This is where you can set any restrictions you may want for location or age. Also you have the opportunity to leave the page “unpublished” until you finish it, if you like. You can edit your Wall settings, add applications, etc.
I urge you to take some time to see what is available. Remember, the goal is to have your page be a positive representation of your business so you can connect with clients / customers & build relationships.
Click “Edit” below each section, to edit those settings. Make sure to click Save Changes for each section before moving on.
After you’ve finished the settings, it’s time to customize & tweak your page. To do that, click the question mark at the top of the settings page. (See image above)
Step 4: Customize & Tweak Your Page
Customizing your page is just like modifying your personal profile page. You will need to upload your logo or an image that represents your company and introduce your business to members and potential customers by adding a business summary.
Select “Edit Page” to add specifics such as contact information, address, phone numbers and websites. (Type your website using the full URL including the http:// so it will show up as a link)
Step 5: Send Your Friends An Invitation To View Your Page
Facebook calls this “Suggest to Friends”, to invite people to view your page; click the “Suggest To Friends” link under your profile picture.
Like the image above, the box allows you to select from your friends list those who you would like to invite to your page. You can even add a personal message, like asking your friends to recommend your page to their friends.
Click Send Invitation.
Be sure to come back tomorrow when I go over some of the most Frequently Asked Questions regarding Facebook pages for business. If you have a question leave it in the comments or contact me directly, I’d be happy to add it to the list to be published tomorrow. Have a great day! 
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