We know that many small business owners are facing some frustrating setbacks when it comes to using Facebook to market their business.

To help them, we’re answering the top 5 frequently asked Facebook marketing questions we hear from small businesses.

If you’re facing some challenges too, we hope these answers can help!

1. “How can we, as a business, “Like” another business’s Facebook Page?”

Liking another small business’s Facebook Page is a great way to build relationships and show support for other businesses in your area. It’s also a great way to stay up-to-date with what other businesses have going on, and it can help you identify partnership opportunities as well.

But as you may have already discovered, Liking another business’s Page as your business, not yourself, can be a little tricky.

To Like another Page as your business, click on the More button that’s located directly under the Page, and then select Like As Your Page. Click the dropdown feature to select which Page you want to Like this business Page.

2. “It seems like only some of my Facebook fans see my posts. Why does Facebook do this? Is there anything we can do about it?”

Facebook recognizes that each user has hundreds of connections to friends, family, and businesses on Facebook who are all regularly sharing content. In an effort to avoid overwhelming individuals with Facebook News Feed content that they believe people might skip anyway, Facebook introduced the News Feed Algorithm (formerly known as EdgeRank), to deliver the right content to the right people.

What that basically means is that just because you post something to your fans does not mean they will all see it. In fact, organic reach for brand Pages is estimated to be less than two percent. This may sound unfair, but the News Feed Algorithm actually makes your (and your fans’) experience on Facebook more enjoyable.

One thing you can do to increase your chances of being seen in the News Feed is to use video. Facebook has placed a huge emphasis on video content, especially video using the Facebook Live livestreaming feature. Facebook gives video content priority.

That being said, there are things you can do to make sure your message gets in front of the right people. Here are a few resources to help you do it:

3. “Is it possible to see who is actually ‘checking in’ at our business on Facebook?”

Check-ins are important to getting your business found on Facebook. When a user checks in to a business or includes the business as a location in a Facebook post, their friends will see that activity in the News Feed or on the business’ Page. The more people checking in, the more opportunities you’ll have to be discovered by other Facebook users.

Unfortunately, you can’t see who is actually checking in at your business.

What Facebook will show you on your business Page is the number of people who are checking in over time. While this might not be exactly what you’re looking for, it is helpful to see which days, weeks, or months you’re seeing the most people checking in. It will also give you some insight into how your Facebook activities coincide with these numbers.

To access checkin data, go into your  Page and click Insights at the top of your Admin Panel.

Under “Local,” you will find a section called “People Nearby.” Click on Check-ins to see how many people have checked in to your location in the last 30 days.

4. “I don’t understand engagement rate. Some posts receive a ton of clicks, but Facebook tells me that not as many people ‘saw it.’ Why does this happen?”

The Engagement Rate Metric makes understanding the success of a post quicker than ever. Facebook calculates the official engagement rate as follows:

Engagement Rate = Number of Clicks, Likes, Shares, and Comments/Number of people who saw the post (Reach).

The outcome illustrates the portion of your audience that is engaged with your content, consequently indicating the quality and success of your posts. Facebook will use this data to determine how many fans see future content you share on the site.

For example, if one post is reaching a significant amount of people, but not producing much engagement, the News Feed Algorithm marks the post as low quality. Too many low quality posts hurt your chances of appearing in your fans News Feed in the future.

Bottom Line: When you focus on providing content that’s relevant, interesting, and entertaining for your target audience, you should see engagement rate go up. While you will also want to test different types of content (photos, videos, links, text-only, etc.), what’s most important is that your audience is paying attention and engaging (Liking, using Facebook Reactions, commenting, sharing) the stuff you put out.

5. “Is it possible to merge multiple Facebook Pages? I have two pages that I want to combine, but I’m worried about losing all the work I’ve done so far.”

For a lot of small businesses, getting started on Facebook isn’t always a clean process. As a result, many small businesses unintentionally end up managing multiple pages.

If you’re an admin for multiple pages, Facebook has a pretty simple solution. Go to the top of the page you want to keep and click Settings. (Make sure you are using Facebook as yourself, not your business.)

Select “Merge Pages” and click “Request to merge duplicate Pages.”

Facebook will combine all of your Likes and check-ins, but will permanently remove all of the other content (posts, photos, and username) from the page you merge. The page that you want to keep will not change, except the addition of new Likes and check-ins.

If you are not already the admin for both pages, you will have to first verify that the page belongs to your business by requesting to claim the page on Facebook. Once you do that, you should be able to merge with your existing Facebook Page.

Still need to convert your Facebook Profile to a Facebook Page? Here’s help.

Have additional social media questions?

Check out our marketing resources page for social media tips and best practices. You’ll find blog posts, videos, infographics, Slideshares, and more. If you have other social media questions or want to learn more about any of the questions answered above, post them in the comments below!

For a lot of small business owners, social media is used primarily for marketing purposes.

Maybe you’re not interested in using Facebook or Twitter in your personal life, or maybe you just don’t have the time to spend on LinkedIn or Pinterest.

But while you may not want to use these sites in your personal life, you don’t want to limit your potential to reach new customers or clients because you are not using social media to market your business.

This brings up the big question, “Do I need a personal profile to create a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest Page for my Business?”

Here’s what you need to know:

Facebook

Yes. You will need a personal profile to create a Facebook Page.

Facebook wants everyone on the platform to be using the site as an individual, not just as a brand. This doesn’t mean you need to actively use your Facebook Profile or that your Facebook friends need to see all of your activity on your Facebook Page.

By creating a Facebook Page you will automatically separate your business activity from your personal interactions.

“Can’t I just use my profile to market my page?”

No. By using a profile for marketing purposes, you are violating Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.

But more importantly, if you’re not using a page, you won’t have access to Facebook Insights or other tools Facebook created specifically for businesses on the site. You will also limit your potential to build relationships with people who want to show support for your business by becoming a Facebook Fan, not a friend on Facebook.

If you’re already using a Facebook Profile to market your business, you can convert your profile to a page in a few easy steps! Here’s how.

Twitter

No. You do not need to create a personal Twitter handle before creating an account for your business.

Twitter does not differentiate between the different “types” of Twitter users. All you’ll need to do is make sure you’re using a Twitter handle that reflects your business and that you’re filling out the right information.

If you do decide to use Twitter for personal reasons as well, you’ll want to create a separate Twitter handle. This is especially true if you plan to share content or participate in conversations that are not relevant to your business’s target audience.

New to Twitter? Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Pinterest

No. You do not need to create a personal Pinterest Profile to create a Pinterest Business Page.

To set up a new business account go to Pinterest.com/business/create.

“What if I already have a personal profile?”

Not to worry. If you already have a personal page, you can convert it to a business page as well. Similar to Facebook, there are a number of marketing benefits associated with making the switch to a Pinterest Business Page, including access to Pinterest Analytics and other tools to promote your business.

If you do want to use Pinterest as an individual, you may want to create a separate profile that’s not directly associated with your business. This will help you avoid having potential customers or clients seeing your personal activity on the site.

New to Pinterest? Here are a few tips to help you get started.

LinkedIn

Yes. You will need a personal profile in order to create a LinkedIn Company Page.

And this is actually good news for small businesses. As a business owner, you will want to have a personal profile to help build your own professional relationships. You can connect with other local business owners and join LinkedIn Groups to build relationships within your industry. You can even follow other Company Pages to learn how businesses and organizations are using the platform for marketing purposes.

“Do I really need a Company Page?”

While a profile lets you tell your story, a Company Page lets you tell your business’s story. You can highlight your products and services, engage with followers, and even post job openings to help you find your next successful employee.

When your Company Page is set up, you will be able to link your personal profile to your page by editing “Experience” in your profile. You can also encourage your employees to do the same.

LinkedIn also offers its own analytics dashboard that’s exclusive to Company Pages.

To set up your Company Page go to Work> Create a Company Page.

New to LinkedIn? Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Managing your personal and professional social media presence

The bottom line is that whether or not you have an interest in using social media yourself, the people who matter most to your business are on these sites and they’re waiting for you to be there.

When you are ready to try any of these social networks, make sure you’re using the right type of pages to market your business. This will help separate your personal and professional activity, and will open you up to new opportunities to generate results from your social media marketing.

We recently held our advanced social media webinar and received a ton of questions from attendees! If you missed the webinar, you can order it on-demand here.

You’ve listened to all of the buzz about how great Pinterest can be for your small business, and took it upon yourself to set up your very own Pinterest Page.

You may have even gone as far as to post your first board!

Job well done.

But now what?

Tell everyone about it! Here are six ways to promote your new Pinterest Page:

1. Spread the word.

Leverage all of the social channels you currently use to tell your friends, family, and customers about your new Pinterest Page. Also, be sure to include visually-enticing pins from some of your favorite boards within your posts to really get people’s attention. If you have a business blog, you can actually embed a pin or an entire board using Pinterest’s widget builder too. This is a great way to drive people to your page.

You’ll also want to take your efforts offline as well. Just because Pinterest is an online social network doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t promote your Pinterest Page within all of your print marketing materials, including business cards, menus, flyers, signs, t-shirts — anywhere it can be visible. Tell every customer who walks through your doors about it. This is all part of getting the word out.

2. Use hashtags.

Yes that’s right. Similar to Twitter, Pinterest has a tagging system using the same hashtag method. Use hashtags in the descriptions of your pins so that even more people can find them. It’s a great way to have your Pinterest account and pins discovered by people searching through related content. Keep in mind that the people who find these pins will be very interested in them too because of the way they found them.

3. Send out a special email.

Create an email specifically dedicated to encouraging your customers to follow your boards on Pinterest. By doing so, you’ll be able to tell all of your customers about your new page quickly and they can start following you straight from that email. Remember to include some great images in there also. Afterall, Pinterest is all about the visual appeal.

4. Link to your website.

80.5 percent of small business websites do not link to social media networks.

Don’t make this common mistake. Not connecting your website to your social networks is a bad practice for all social networks, and especially for Pinterest. Adding a Pinterest logo to your website will not only help drive traffic to your page, but will act as a reminder to people who visit your website to pin your content.

5. Follow other businesses.

The nature of Pinterest is based on collaboration. Find other local businesses in your area to engage with and stay updated on what your customers are pinning alongside items from your business. Also, look to other businesses similar to yours on Pinterest for inspiration.

6. Make it easy for people to find you.

Update your “Search Privacy” to allow your boards and profile to appear in search engine results. Be sure you fill out the description sections of your boards and pins so that users searching can find you too.

Feeling like you need a few more Pinterest resources?

No worries! We have you covered.

Here’s a helpful guide about how to drive social visibility and new business with Pinterest.

It’s also good to know what not to do on Pinterest to avoid looking dumb.

Other than that, have some fun! Happy pinning!

If you have any additional questions about promoting your Pinterest Page, feel free to leave them below.

Facebook constantly tweaks its News Feed Algorithm, which determines the posts users see in the news feed.

In an effort to compete as a “news discovery platform,” the newest update to the Facebook News Feed Algorithm helps deliver more relevant news to its users, especially to users on the go, accessing Facebook from their mobile device.

Facebook News Feed Algorithm update recap:

  • More links will be displayed within the news feed, especially on mobile.
  • Links that are commented on by friends will receive a bump in the news feed.
  • Memes hosted outside of Facebook will receive a decrease in the news feed.

Facebook reported that they’ve seen a 170 percent increase in traffic from Facebook to media sites over the last year. This significant spike has led Facebook to conclude that its users want to discover and consume more quality news within the platform.

How will they do this?

Facebook will look first at link clicks to determine the quality of a link, and second at the total of comments. Quality links will be “bumped” up in the news feed and will be more likely to appear to relevant users.

The more clicks and comments on a shared link, the more prominently it will appear in the news feed.

How do I know if my link is being clicked?

Don’t get discouraged if a link appears to be getting very little engagement, it could be getting a significant amount of clicks! To view the clicks on a link, open up the “Post” tab within Facebook Insights.

Check to make sure the engagement option that displays clicks has been checked.

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Next, you can sort the posts based on the number of clicks each post received.

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By clicking on an individual post, a “Post Details” box will pop up. Here you can view the number of clicks easily. Clicking to view a photo (in a photo post) is considered a click, so make sure you’re focusing on the “link clicks.”

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What if I already share quality links from my Facebook Page?

The Facebook News Feed Algorithm update will serve as a great opportunity for content developing businesses that create publications or blog content and you won’t need to change much. Try to encourage your fans to share their opinion on the article or ask a question related to the post to increase comments and give your link an extra boost.

Tip: Check to make sure the link you’re sharing is mobile friendly. Facebook is putting a greater emphasize on link clicks that occur in mobile.

What if I focus on sharing photos from my Facebook Page?

There is a chance the reach of your photos may be negatively impacted by the increased weight Facebook will now place on links. I suggest trying to rotate in a few links to articles within your content calendar and see how your audience reacts. Avoid linking to memes and encourage your fans to comment on your link by asking a simple but intriguing question relevant to the article.

Don’t stress too much, ultimately “quality” content is the most engaged with content. If photos still receive the most engagement on your page, in the end they will receive the most exposure.

Tip: Optimize the image that appears with the link you’re sharing. When you’re creating a link post on Facebook, the hyperlink pulls in the images from the post, so be sure to scroll through the images to choose which is the most eye catching. Don’t forget to also delete the hyperlink after the link preview is pulled into the post.

Recently, Facebook added the ability to upload your own image in a link post. I recommend uploading your own image at the Facebook recommended size of 1200×627 (appears as 400×209 in the news feed) or an image ratio of 1.91.:1. Links with larger images receive at least sixty-nine percent more link clicks. You can use Aviary or PicMonkey to create or crop images to the appropriate size.

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Personally, I was a little surprised by this update from Facebook. Contradictory to the statistics, my opinion has always been that people don’t look to Facebook to get their news.

The intention of Facebook users is to connect and converse with friends and brands in a more casual environment. Facebook wants to move away from displaying fun images such as memes, yet fun images when used appropriately, are the most engaged with content. Social media has also become increasingly visual across all social networks, including Facebook.

It will be interesting to see how Facebook users’ behavior changes.

Have additional questions about optimizing links for Facebook? Ask me in the comments below.

You may have heard (or maybe seen) that pictures can drive big engagement on Facebook.

It’s true. According to Facebook, images receive 120 percent more engagement than text-only posts.

This is great news for any small business that’s been struggling to get people to like, comment, or share, but also introduces a whole new question: How can I use images in my Facebook marketing?

I’m glad you asked!

This year, we’ve seen a ton of awesome examples from real small businesses and nonprofits that are using images on Facebook and getting great results. And what better way to discover new ways to use images on your Facebook Page than to look to other great local businesses and organizations for inspiration?

Here are 35 awesome examples:

1. Go behind the scenes

Most of your customers will only see the final product when they shop in your store or order online. Give fans a peek behind the curtains with images that show all of the work that goes into the products you sell and the services you provide.

2. Celebrate a milestone

When you achieve a milestone for your business or organization, you know that your customers played an important role in helping you get there. Let them join in on the celebration by sharing an image that celebrates your success.

3. Complain without complaining

Avoid using Facebook as a place to vent your frustrations (there’s enough of that on Facebook already)! Instead, get creative and look for opportunities to use funny images or sayings that vent without really venting.

4. Spark a conversation

Any time you can, look for ways to engage your fans in a conversation. You can use an image to catch their attention and text to encourage a response.

5. Celebrate your customers

Celebrating your customers builds strong relationships and markets your products and services in a whole new way. You can also tag your customers in your photos and thank them for stopping by.

6. Show yourself doing what you love

One of the things that makes small businesses, small businesses is the passion you have for the work that you do. Use photos to show your passion whenever you can.

7. Help potential customers envision your products

Instead of just using a stock image of a particular product, look for opportunities to offer fans a different perspective on the items you sell.

8. Show fans what they missed

Next time you have an event, make sure to take plenty of photos. You can then share those photos on Facebook and give attendees the opportunity to tag themselves after the event. For people who missed the event, photos offer a big incentive to put future events on their calendar.

9. Fill seats last minute

Another way you can use images on Facebook to promote your events is to fill last-minute openings. Snap a photo on the day of the event, share it with your fans, and let them know that there are a limited number of seats still available.

10. Give fans a new perspective

There are some perspectives your customers will never get the chance to see. When they see it on Facebook, there’s a good chance they’ll stop and pay attention.

11. Share some fun ideas

Showing your customers how to do something fun and new is a great way to build relationships online. Chances are their friends and family will want to know where they got the idea, which will help you attract new fans and customers too.

12. Help support a good cause

People like to spend money with businesses that share the same values and support the same causes. They also like to share information regarding those values and causes. Images will be sure to inspire your fans to get involved.

13. Get people excited for the future

As a business owner, you’re always looking towards the future. Make sure your customers are too! By getting people excited today, you’ll have more chances to grow your business tomorrow.

14. Show people your menu

Even text-heavy images can be useful on Facebook. When appropriate, share your menu or specials on Facebook with a great-looking image.

15. Show off your accolades

Don’t be modest! If you receive a great piece of coverage or an endorsement from an influencer in your industry, share it with your fans on Facebook.

16. Share your favorite quotes

People love quotes that inspire them and catch their attention. Consider using a tool like Aviary to add text to images and share them with your fans.

17. Drive people to your blog

If you manage a blog for your business, you know that generating traffic to your content can often be a challenge. If you haven’t already, try to use a fun and engaging photo to encourage people to click-through.

18. Encourage people to share the love

There’s a reason why the people who” Like” your Facebook Page are known as fans. These are the people who know your business, appreciate the work that you do, and are happy to show their support. Encouraging them to show the love on sites like Yelp or Urban Spoon can have a big impact when it comes to boosting your online reputation and bringing new customers to your business.

19. Demonstrate your shared values

One of the biggest advantages social media has for small businesses and nonprofits is that you can build a community around your organization. One of the best ways to build that community is to demonstrate your shared values to members of your target audience.

20. Support local businesses

If you run a small business, you know how important local support can be. Look for opportunities to build relationships with other local vendors by showing them off to your own network of fans.

21. Give fans a glimpse of the past

Whether you’ve been open for 10 months or 10 years, every business has a unique history and a story fans will appreciate. Sharing old photos tells your business’s story and gives people a glimpse into just how far you’ve come.

You might not have a history that dates back more than 100 years like Westover School, which posts pictures from the school’s archives every week on “Flashback Friday,” but chances are you have photos from your early days that customers would love to see.

22. Promote your latest newsletter

Sharing your email newsletters and announcements on Facebook attracts more readers and hopefully gets more Facebook fans to join your email list.

Make sure to use an image that will not only get people’s attention, but that will also give some indication of what they’ll find when they click to read.

23. Make people hungry

If you’re a restaurant, bakery, or caterer, using pictures to show off all of the great stuff coming out of your kitchen is sure to boost engagement. It’s also a great way to turn fans into customers and fast.

Even if you’re not in the food-service industry, the idea here is to make sure to choose photos that portray your products in a flattering light, and give customers some insight into how they came to be.

24. Show what people can do with your products

When you’re a fabric store like The Calico House, there are endless possibilities of what customers can create with the stuff you sell.

Showing customers some examples of how they can use your products will inspire your audience and can often generate quite a conversation.

25. Make people feel welcome

Chances are you’re already putting a lot of effort into attracting new fans to your page. But have you put any thought into how you’re going to thank people for becoming fans or make them feel welcome? Images offer a subtle way to do both.

26. Motivate your fans

Everyone can use a little motivation, especially on Monday mornings. Look to create images that inspire your audience and encourage them to get the most from their day.

27. Have some fun

Don’t forget, Facebook is supposed to be fun for you and more importantly for your customers. A “caption this” or “fill in the blank” contest are both great ways to engage your fans and have some fun in the process.

28. Build your reputation

Pet lovers are among the most vocal members of any social media community, and showcasing pictures that make people say, “Awww…”  is a great method for getting people to click “like.”

But for Oh to Be a Dog, it’s not just about cashing in on the “cute factor,” it’s also about showing other dog owners that they offer a range of pet-care services — and most importantly — that other pet-owners have trusted them to take care of their pets.

Using photos to build your reputation and to develop trust with prospective clients is something that all businesses, regardless of their industry, should cash in on.

29. Let people know you’re still open

As a small business owner, you know how debilitating inclement weather can be to your business. And while using pictures on Facebook won’t do much to control the weather, it will help you keep customers informed about how that weather is impacting your schedule.

30. Tap into current events

While there are certainly hot topics and current events you’ll want to avoid, events like Shark Week are a great chance to use photos to boost engagement on your Facebook Page.

Just make sure you’re staying true to your brand and keeping the interest of your fans in mind!

31. Say thanks

Don’t underestimate the power of a simple “thank you.” Add a photo of your staff to provide a more personal touch.

32. Help get people through your door

“Sell! Sell! Sell!” isn’t a strategy that’s going to work on Facebook. If you want to get people off of Facebook and into your store, you need to provide a more personal touch.

Free treats and a relaxed shopping experience will work well, especially during the holidays.

33. Promote a special offer

Look for opportunities to get beyond text-only posts when promoting your offers and promotions.

Remember that people are on Facebook to connect with friends and to find stuff that’s interesting to them. Use a fun and engaging photo to catch their attention, and then provide the information they need to take advantage of your offer.

34. Share unfortunate news

It’s never fun when things go wrong. But when they do, it’s better to address the problem then to try and get around it.

Obviously if it’s something very serious, you won’t want to take things too lightly. But in some situations, the right image can be exactly what you need to keep fans happy.

35. Let people know where to find you

If you manufacture products that can be found in other locations, you can use Facebook to let people know where to find you.

If your products are available at other local retailers, you can tag the business in your Facebook post.

A picture could be worth more than ever in 2014

While images were already a huge part of Facebook and other social networks in 2013, you can expect these sites to get even more visual in the New Year. Luckily, with the popularity of smartphones, it’s never been easier to snap a photo, add a comment or a question, and upload it to your Facebook Page.

Use these examples as inspiration, and you’ll be well on your way to boosting your engagement and growing your Facebook Page.

Did you know you can now import your Facebook photos directly into your Constant Contact account? Learn more.