article by          JAMES BRINDLE

By now, everybody’s heard of Facebook, and most know that it is an essential tool in your business’ advertising toolbox. With the introduction of the Facebook Fan Page, businesses across the globe have begun setting up mini-sites on Facebook and gathering a following. Here are five ways for you to share in their success:

5) A Simple Title

Make sure the title of your page is something that is short, sweet, and to the point. Don’t worry about search optimization here; just tell the consumers who you are. This will also help with spreading your page virally, as members who see your name on a friend’s wall will be able to pay it more attention, and retain it more easily.

4) Write, Write, Write

Here’s where you can try your hand at that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) thing you’ve been hearing so much about. People just browsing Facebook will use the search bar to help them find pages they might be interested in. You want that search bar to take them to you, right? So make sure you include plenty of keywords all over you page in every area that allows you to enter text (Info boxes, Discussions, etc). Be sure to maintain a level of coherence so that your existing fans have something to look at that isn’t just a jumble of hot words.

3) Take out an Ad

Hey, we never said this was the “Top 5 FREE ways to Market Your Facebook Page,” don’t forget about a little old-school self promotion with the Facebook Ads application. Facebook lets you choose what your ad will look like, who will see it, and how often—and, of course, how much you spend each day. This is a great tactic for just beginning a page (Once you’ve gained a following, FB will actually suggest you to your fans’ friends! So you no longer have to pay for publicity), and for those times when your fan count seems to plateau.

2) Customize

Just because the Facebook Staff has given you a page that looks a certain way, doesn’t mean you have to keep it that way. By customizing tabs (sections of your page) and defaults (you can change which parts of the page a FB user sees first). By customizing your page you create a unique experience for your potential fans/customers—and what is marketing if it’s not standing out in the consumer’s mind?

1) Update!

So you’ve gone to the trouble of making a page, you’ve optimized it for search engines, you’ve taken out an ad, and you’ve got some fans—great! Don’t stop now! Update your page daily (or every other day if you’re really that busy…) with new statuses, pictures, videos, etc. Every time you change your page’s status, a notification displays in the news feeds of all of your fans, an important feature for keeping your brand in the front of their minds.