The Facebook tag feature allows your business to mention other businesses in your status updates and comments. This allows you have a conversation with the other business, and lets fans of that business see your post, increasing your visibility as well.

• Before You Start: You have a Facebook business page. You know how to use Facebook as your page. Your business page likes one or more other pages.
• Learning level: 3 | Building Skills
• Article Last Updated: Thursday, April 4, 2013

Facebook Allows Tags With Business Pages

Facebook allows your business page to mention other business pages in your status updates and comments. Facebook calls this a tag, and only allows you to tag businesses that you like. When you tag another business page:

• Your status update or comment includes a link to that business page.
• Your status update appears on the wall of that business page (depending on the other page’s wall settings).

This feature is similar to how Facebook profiles can tag friends in their status updates and comments.

How To Tag Other Businesses

It’s easy to tag another business in a status update or comment.

1. Before you start, consider liking the other business page. It’s not necessary, but it’s always a good idea.
2. Start typing your status update or comment.
3. To begin the tag, type the @ (at symbol). This lets Facebook know that you are starting a tag.
4. Begin typing the business page name. With each letter you type, Facebook goes through the list of businesses looking for matches.
5. When the business you want to tag appears in the list, you can use the down arrows to highlight it. or keep typing until it is the only option. 
6. When the business you want to tag is highlighted, press Enter. Facebook adds the name of the business page into your status update or comment with a link to that business.

Update: In May 2011, Facebook updated the tagging feature so you can shorten the tagged text that appears.

When To Tag Other Businesses

In your social media conversations, your business should be talking about other businesses. Any time you mention another business on Facebook, it’s a smart idea to tag them. When you do this, they know about it because a copy of your status update appears on their Facebook wall. Not only do they know, but all of their fans who visit their page will see your post. It’s a great way to expand your visibility while you praise another business.

After seeing your status update, the other business can jump in and comment on your status. This starts a conversation, and is great engagement on Facebook. In fact, some of the fans of that business may also jump in and comment on your status.

But be careful about this. If your status update isn’t really something that the other business likes, they can remove your post from their wall. You certainly don’t want to be seen as a spammer, someone who posts something about your own business on someone else’s wall. So think before you tag. Are you really being generous in your mention of the other business?

Your turn: Have you tagged other businesses in your status updates? Has another business tagged you? Share your experience here.

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