Facebook doesn’t allow you search for new fans for your official (business) page. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have options for attracting new fans. Here’s the rundown on how new fans can find your business page.

• Before You Start: You have a Facebook business page.
• Learning Level: 3 | Building Skills
• Article Last Updated: Monday, August 22, 2011

Facebook Fan Relationship

An official (business) Facebook page allows you to build relationships when someone likes your page. One difference between a business page and a personal profile is that with a profile, both people agree to become friends. Because both people agree, Facebook gives each person access to the other person’s information. With a business page, it’s a one way agreement. A person decides to like your business page, but Facebook doesn’t give you access to the fan’s personal information. You never collect contact information from your fans. Facebook protects the privacy of individuals in the fan relationship.

Reaching New Fans

Facebook allows people to like your business page, and doesn’t allow you to invite people to like your business page. The people who like your page initiate the relationship. Given that rule, here are eight ways that you can get yourself in front of new Facebook users who might want to like your page.

1. People like things you post on your business page wall. When you post items on your business page wall, they become part of the news feed for the people who like your page. Anyone who likes your page can see your post in their news feed and like your post. When someone likes your post from their news feed, Facebook adds it to that person’s wall, and publishes it in that person’s news feed. This puts your post in front of the friends of the people who like your page.
2. People see when their friends like your business page. When someone likes your business page, this information appears on their wall and in the news feed their friends read. Some of their friends may decide to check out your business page and may choose to like your business page, also.
3. People notice that a friend likes your business on their profile. When someone visits a friend’s profile, they can see the business pages the friend likes.
4. People do a search for your business on Facebook. Your business page is available to every Facebook member. Any Facebook user who searches for your business will find it and can become a fan.
5. People do a search for your business using a search engine (like Google). Facebook makes your business page available to the public, so it appears in search results on sites like Google and Bing. However, the amount of information displayed depends on whether the person is a Facebook member. Facebook only allows full display of your business page to Facebook members. A person must join Facebook to like your business page.
6. You put a Like box on your blog or website. This Facebook Social Plugin allows people to like your Facebook page from your blog or website. They don’t have to go to Facebook to like your business!
7. You can suggest your business page to your email list. You can send a message to your mailing list that tells them about your business page. This option is located at Edit Page | Marketing | Tell Your Fans. (If you previously had mixed together personal and business on Facebook, this is one way you can communicate your new business page to customers you no longer want as friends on your personal profile.)
8. You can purchase a Facebook ad. Facebook ads allow you to display information about your business page on targeted Facebook personal profiles. You can pay for by the number of times your ad appears, or the number of times someone clicks on your ad.

There are two keys for getting more fans.

• Provide good content that your existing fans want to share with others and catches the attention of potential customers who find your page.
• Tell your existing customers about your Facebook business page.

Your turn: How are you finding new fans on Facebook? Share your strategy and experience here.

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