Are you ready to promote your art on Facebook? Once you learn some of the Facebook Basics you will have an opportunity to reach thousands of potential customers.
Facebook Basics What Artists Need to Know
There are three ways that people can use Facebook:
- Facebook Profile
- Business Page
- Group
I am going to give a brief overview of the three ways you can use Facebook and what will be the best for your art business.
Facebook Profile
Facebook profile is a personal account you get when you join Facebook. This platform is where you can add family members, friends and share personal updates, images, and videos.
It is against Facebook’s Terms of Service to use a Facebook Profile for business. If you use your Profile Page to sell your artwork, Facebook can delete your page without notice.
You can brand yourself as your name. Many artists, musicians, authors, and actors do that. Sharing information about craft shows you will be attending, or information about a new piece of art that you just finished is an excellent idea. As long as you are not using your Profile Page as a business and you are not selling you will not be violating Facebook’s Terms of Service. A post here and there about your art business is fine.
One of the benefits for branding your name on your Profile Page is that you can request friends. However, you can only have up to 5,000 friends. You might feel uncomfortable sharing images about your work on your Profile Page because you do not want to seem “salesy” to your friends and family. There is a difference between selling and branding. For more information on branding read, Art Branding Basics Increase Your Art Sales. Sharing your art is letting people know what you have been up to. If a friend or a family member enjoy your post, they will share it on their News Feeds. This will help you to build brand awareness.
One reason you might want to brand yourself on your Profile Page is that posts from Profile Page’s reach more News Feed than Business Pages. Many people who start a Business page think that when they post on their Business Page, all of their followers will see the post in their News Feed. That is simply not true. Business Page posts only reach about 5% of their following due to Facebook’s algorithm.
You might wonder why would you want to start a Business Page. There is a big difference. Business Pages allow you to promote and sell. Profile Pages are for friends and family. You will only be able to build your brand awareness on your Profile Page, or you will be in violation of Facebook’s Terms of Service. You can strategically use both to build your art business.
Facebook allows people to follow your Profile Page without friending you as long as you set that up as an option. If you decide on allowing your audience to follow your Page you will need to be cautious of what you post. People will not want to see all of your personal stuff on their News Feed. You will need to keep your posts professional.
You can, however, control who sees your posts with Facebook Lists. You can make a List dedicated to friends, family, and business. This will allow you to post more private information to the right people.
Business Page
When Facebook first launched the Business page in late 2007, it was known as a Fan Page. Today it is called a Facebook Business Page or just a Facebook Page. You might still catch me calling it a Fan Page from time to time. You will need a Facebook Profile Page to open a Business Page.
One reason you might want to consider starting a Business Page is that Google indexes them. People using search engines will be able to find your Page even if they do not have a Facebook account. Another reason is you can have an unlimited number of fans unlike the 5,000 cap for Profile Page’s. You can also advertise on your Business Page, unlike your Profile Page.
Facebook Pages are a great way for you to build relations with your audience, show your expertise in your niche, promote your latest work, and keep your audience up to date with upcoming events and changes to your business.
For more Facebook Business Page benefits read, 9 Outstanding Facebook Marketing Benefits for Artists.
Facebook Group
Facebook Groups are becoming more and more popular, and many groups are available for any niche. You can join a group (some groups are private, and you will have to be accepted to join) or start a business group of your own.
There are two ways to grow a group’s audience. You can promote your group to your friends and ask if they would like to join or Facebook members can find your group in Facebook’s search.
Groups have their purpose, and I will be discussing how to use Groups to build your art business later. I recommend for you to start a Business Page first to start building brand awareness.
Conclusion:
Now that you have a clear understanding of the Facebook basics you will be ready to start your Business Page and grow your audience larger than you could have ever imagined.
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