So this is the very first post in the “I heart communities” blogcolumn in english. The subject is a question I am being asked continously by a lot of my clients. Lets start out with the question “why you should have a facebook page”.

1. Facebook pages are public. This means that search engines index them and you appear in searches on google on a given subject. this also means search engine optimization.

2. Facebook pages have links – meaning you could get a little link love in your statistics from the facebook community.

3.  Facebook pages have RSS integration - meaning that you could actually have your blog appear on your facebook page. (blog+facebook page+ Search on the big ol’ internet= more visitors on your site.

4. You can update ALL your fans at once. This means that no matter if you have 5 fans or 50.000 you can reach them with a wink of an eye.

5. When someone be-fans you, it appears in their newsfeed (and gives you exposure to THEIR network as well)

6. If you know of some pages that you think are awfully hot and cool - in relation to the mission of your facebook page – add them to “favorite pages” on your facebook page.

7. It takes you about 5 minutes to make a page in the standard design. A real good idea is to integrate some of your other web 2.0 tools you use daily on the facebook page – mo’ involvement and action creates mo’ fans.

So now you have a facebook page. Good for you! - but how do we get people to become fans ?

1. A good way to start will be to define something that the fans get from you, that no one else gets (and it shouldn’t be salespitches about your products) – it should be something of VALUE (to the fans – and not to you)  and something REMARKABLE to make them CURIOUS. What could that be ? People will get tired of your stardom if you don’t appreciate your fans and give them value.

2. Find the people amongst your facebook friends that is actually interested in you and your company. Send them a facebook message telling them that their support means the world to you and you have created a facebook page that you would love for them to become a fan. You tell them what your valueable, remarkable secret thing that you only involve your fans in. Make it good. this is your shot at having your friend be-fan you.

3. Write about your facebook page elsewhere than facebook. if you have a blog or a webpage, why not give your visitors the option to go and see you on facebook as well.

4. Create events from your facebook page. involve your fans. These people are the people that is the most passionate about your company. invite them to a champagne brunch, a cupcake party or a mushroom hunting trip.

5. Upload pictures and videos that supports your page (please promise me not to do salespitches – it’s communities we are talking about here.. salespitches are a BIG no no – and creates more badwill than goodwill)

6. Ask people to put up fan photos and fan videos from the events – involve the fans in the page – this is really hard but you can help it along.

7. Find facebook groups and facebook pages where you can involve yourself (remember again – involvement is not salespitches – involvement  on the internet, amongst other things is listening and commenting and being proactive in the context of the gr0up page (not outside of context – then it becomes ackward and marketing-y).

8. So now you have your fans - what do you want them to do ?. Oh you want them to tell their friends that they should befan you. You want them to become groupies instead of fans ? great. Listen up closely though. You wont get it with posting news about your business to your fans. You get that with posting genuinely valuable content from your world to your fans. News about your business they can get from your newsletter.

In conclusion: facebook pages and fans is not about spreading messages or marketing, it about long-term involvement in a community and branding effects.

Now go out on the big internet and be happy!

ps. I will love for you to actually use this and republish it. But I really hope that you will give me link + credit for it. This is hard work=)

pps. crossposted on henrietteweber.com