Last week, Facebook announced they would be launching verified Pages to “help people find the authentic accounts of celebrities and other high-profile people and businesses on Facebook.” Users will be able to distinguish which Pages are verified by a small blue check mark besides their name that will appear on timelines, in search results and everywhere on Facebook.

As of right now, this isn’t an option for everyone on Facebook and it is done automatically for a Page of a certain stature; currently it is only available for a small group of prominent people including celebrities, journalists, government officials, popular brand and businesses with larger audiences.

My guess is that eventually this will be rolled out to all business pages allowing them to verify their Facebook Page as legitimate. The benefit of this new feature is that a user will automatically be able to decipher between legitimate and fake Pages without having to do a lot of research. This could essentially help in the growth of Likes; since a user will have no question as to whether a page is real or not, they may be more likely to click to most sought after “Like” button.

Until this feature is available to all Facebook Pages, there are still some steps you can take to help your business page stand out. If you look at a business page, that little box underneath the business name is your holy grail, providing your fan with EVERYTHING they need to know about you!

• Make sure you add your category; just because you have a Facebook Page that represents your business name that does not mean that a user will automatically register what type of business you are.  In addition, by adding this to your profile page, you also increase your chances of showing up in a Facebook search.
• The same goes for your address. If you don’t put where you are located your fans will not know where to find your place of business! Sure, they can go to your website and search for it, but the easier it is for them, the more likely they are to visit your location.
• The above applies to your phone number and hours as well. If your fan doesn’t know how or when to reach you, they won’t.
• There are other tidbits of information you can add in your “About” section as well, including your website, a description of your business, and links to other social media sites you might be active on. These are all important as well, but the information in the top box is what the customer sees without having to take the step to find out more about you.
• Have a STRONG profile picture and cover photo.
  • The profile picture is the image that shows up in the search. If it doesn’t help represent your place of business, the less likely your customer is going to click on your Page.
  • Your cover photo is by far the largest image on your Page, and it is the first thing your fan will see once they click on your Page!

If you’re ready to get started on your social media marketing, it’s time you contact us to take your social media to a new level!