If you’ve ever wondered how to get more “likes” on your Facebook business page, wanted to earn more comments on your updates, and attract more visitors to your page, today’s post is just for you!

Imagine you are a successful business owner with plenty of content to share, and special deals to offer. Imagine sitting in your office cranking out all this great material to offer to your ideal clients. And imagine yourself papering your walls and windows with these flyers, photos and messages, hoping people will stroll by and see what you have to offer.

And you wait. And wait. And wait…hoping your ideal client (or anyone!) will wander by to see your amazing content and act upon it. This “wallpapering the room” approach is not very client-attractive and probably leaves you wondering why no one interacts with your business on Facebook.

But now imagine you rip all those brilliant materials off the walls, step outside your office, and stroll through the town – handing out flyers, talking with others, getting to know people in your community and sharing how you might help them. This “posting flyers all over town” approach is much more conducive to attracting your ideal clients and building your business page following.

So would you rather wallpaper the room or post flyers all over town? This is a perfect analogy to the #1 missed opportunity for businesses on Facebook – not using Facebook as your business page. This is usually a jolting statement to most businesses, because they believe they “are” using Facebook as their business by posting frequent content on their own business page.

Anjou had no idea she could use Facebook as her page “Bartlett and Anjou”

But when asked if they visit other business pages and leave comments as their business, the response is the classic tilted puppy dog head stare…” You mean you can do that?” Or “when I try that, it leaves a comment as me (the person) but I can’t comment as my business.” Or “why would I want to do that anyway?” As I speak to various groups and teach social media workshops, this tactic is one of the biggest a-ha moments of the day, and at least 75% of businesses did not know this option existed.

Using Facebook as your business page is one of the most powerful tools, as it provides great visibility, increases recognition, and allows you to be supportive (publicly) of other businesses. If your business keeps acting like a shut-in (wallpapering!) how will anyone ever discover what you have to offer? But if you were to “like” other business page updates and post supportive/informative comments, fans of that business would now know about you, possibly click on your page name, perhaps like your page, and easily be able to view all the wonderful information about your business. That’s posting flyers all over town!

This is easily accomplished by simply “putting on your business hat” and marching around Facebook. All it takes is two simple clicks to transition from you, the person, to you, the business – and ta da! You are now free to move about the (Facebook) country and get the visibility you need and deserve.

To use Facebook as your business page, click on the small arrow in far upper right corner of the page. You will see “use Facebook as:” and select your business page name. You will notice that the icon in the top bar of your page will transition from you, the person to you, the business.

Now go visit a business page that you are interested in. Click below a recent post of theirs that you’d like to comment on. You will notice that the icon next to your comment is your business page icon now, not you, the person! And when you post your comment, your business name will appear next to your icon/logo. Instant visibility and one easy click for people to come learn about you!! Also, if you want to share that article with your fans, click the “share” button at bottom of the update, write a short note about it, and voila – you have a new piece of content on your business page that you didn’t have to create.

So what’s next? Spend at least five minutes a day visiting other business pages, being supportive and interested in what they are doing, and watch the good karma come back to you! While you are on these business pages, be sure to “like” their page now as your business, because you probably only have liked them previously as you, the person.

Why is that important? Come back next week to learn why in Part Two of this post, which is “The #2 Missed Opportunity for Businesses on Facebook – I have a newsfeed??”

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