If you have a Facebook business page, and you want to grow a following of people who love your page and engage with your content, then you probably thought it through already: you know who your page is for, and what you’re going to post on your page in order to help or entertain people.
However, your Facebook page might not do what you were expecting it to. In some cases, you could have a hard time getting people to “like” and follow your page. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one; many Facebook admins are struggling to get people to take a look at their page to start with.
As I’ve been doing lots of Facebook Audits in the past couple of weeks, I noticed quite a few recurring "mistakes" people make on their Facebook business pages (I've now decided to do a webinar on it next week - click here to learn more!) One mistake particular is very common, easy to spot and to fix, and it has everything to do with the Facebook page’s name.
As you know, a lot of Facebook business pages are being created all the time. At the beginning of 2017, there were over 65 million business pages on Facebook - and we can only assume that number has been growing steadily. Raise your hand if you’ve started a page in 2017 :-)
Whether you’ve got a Facebook page for your business, hobby or project - it’s important to stand out from the crowd. The first impression is of your page critical, and the choice of a good name for your Facebook page is essential.
Before we go on, we’re just talking about Facebook “engagement” pages here. If you use your Facebook page as a free website for your brand, if you’re just posting your own stuff there and aren’t particularly looking to grow your page with people who don’t know your brand yet - then you can ignore my advice here. However, if you want random strangers to come look at your page because it fits their interests… then this is for you!
Even if you’re sharing the most awesome content on your page, your first goal is to get your ideal follower to come to your page. If they see your content and like it, they might just like and start to follow your page. And if all is well, they will start engaging with your content… and you’ve got one more fan!
How your Facebook name can push people away
There are three main mistakes you might be making with your Facebook page. You might laugh and think I’m exaggerating (I might be, just a tiny bit, to make a point) - but with every one of these, please take a long hard look at your Facebook page’s name…
Are you guilty of any of the following?
1. You called your Facebook business page after yourself.
Be honest: would you click the link to a Facebook page that is called “Jane Smith”? Unless Jane Smith is a celebrity or somebody you happen to know, of course. From a personal name like that, you can’t know whether the page is about fashion, cooking or maybe Jane Smith could give you great financial advice.
2. Your Facebook page’s name doesn’t match the content.
Put yourself in a Facebook user’s shoes… if a Facebook page is called “Top Travel Tips” but when you click it, there’s nothing but T-shirts for sale. Would you start following that page? If you’re actually looking for great T-shirts, you might… but then you probably wouldn’t have found a page called “Top Travel Tips”.
3. Your Facebook page’s name is confusing.
You might be using a name that can mean very different things (maybe even mean something “bad” in another language) - or just something that doesn’t mean anything to your ideal reader, and that they won’t identify with.
Choose the right name for your Facebook page
Not sure how to fix these, or what would be a good name for your Facebook page? Here are a few guidelines you might want to follow!
1. Use your Facebook business page's name to clarify what your page is about.
This is the most simple trick of all: if people are looking for a particular type of page, they will find it much more easily if the page name has that information! Facebook also allows users to search for keywords; having the right keywords (the kind of things your audience would look for) in your description is great, but having them in your page name is gold.
2. Follow the Facebook guidelines
Facebook knows what kind of names they like (or don’t like) pages to have. There are a few hard rules - you’re definitely not supposed to mislead your followers or violate people’s rights! It’s also not allowed to use generic words or geographical locations for a page name. Click here to find all of Facebook’s guidelines!
3. Don’t use acronyms.
Acronyms can be pretty confusing: sometimes one acronym can stand for a dozen of possible terms, companies, laws, etc. If you’re going to use acronyms, you might want to clarify which one it is in the name as well! For instance, you could use “Phoenix CSA - fresh veggies weekly” to make clear this is about Community Supported Agriculture, and not the Phoenix branch of the Crime Syndicate of America or the Confederate States Army.
4. Stay away from personal names - unless the page is about a celebrity.
If you really want your own name to be included in the page’s name, you could do “Fabulous Fashion with Jane Smith” or “Jane Smith, Financial Consultant” so people know at first sight what your page is about.
5. Make sure your target audience recognises your page name instantly.
For instance, “The Einkorn Kitchen” is probably not going to mean much to most of you - but if you love baking and experimenting with different kinds of flours, you won’t be able to resist the call!
6. Make your name easy to identify with.
This has everything to do with niching down (making your audience as narrow as possible, so you can better serve their needs); know your audience, know what they need, and hint to the solution in the name. “Decluttering Club” for instance offers people two things: it’s not only a page where you can get tips about decluttering and living with less, but it’s also a chance to become part of a community - Sarah really knew what she was doing when she chose the name.
7. Give your page name a positive twist.
Even when your page is about something bad (a humanitarian cause, a disease, politics) - you can still give it a positive turn in your page name… and in your posts. Facebook wants their users to have a positive experience and to feel good while they’re using their platform; if people are having a good time, they’ll stay longer. This is why they’re limiting the reach of everything people might experience as unpleasant. There’s even a list of “bad words” you’d better not use as a Facebook page… Click here to get it!
On January 8th, I talked about this live on the BA Facebook page. This was part of the 5-day "Start 2018 with a Facebook page that works for you" challenge. Check out the replay!
Now put your Facebook page name to the test!
Want to know if your Facebook page’s name is really working? Ask a stranger for their opinion. Maybe you could start a topic in a Facebook group you’re in, or ask somebody who doesn’t know it’s your page to speak their mind. When they hear your page’s name, what do they think it’s about? The trick is to have a page name that is appealing (appealing enough to click on), gives something away of what your page is about, and will especially attract your ideal follower.
Got a name for your Facebook page?
Please share your Facebook page’s name in the comments! Do you think it matches your content, does your ideal audience identify with it and like it - and are you going to stick with it? Or are you thinking about changing your page’s name?
Let me know!