Top Tips for Creating a Great Facebook Page

Over the past year or so, I’ve seen more and more non-profits and companies create Facebook fan pages for their organizations.  Facebook calls fan pages “a customizable presence for an organization, product, or public personality to join the conversation with Facebook users.” Fan pages are great because they are designed for organizations, but they work a lot like personal pages.  You can customize them; you can post status updates, links, photos and videos; and updates show up on fans’ streams.

So, you’ve set-up a Facebook fan for your company, now what?  Here are some of my favorite Facebook fan pages and reasons I think they’re terrific and effective.

Stanford University – http://www.facebook.com/stanford

• The status updates are a mix of campus news, alumni news, sports updates, research and university news.
• The page has a good mix of updates, links, photos and videos.
• I love the office hours with world-renowned professors.  Each week, there is a short video of a professor discussing some important work; the professor takes questions from fans throughout the week.
• I also appreciate the handy list of Stanford Web sites and the photo albums.

Dunkin Donuts – http://www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts

• When you visit this Facebook fan page, you are not taken to the Wall by default, but rather to a promo.
• This fan page uses a custom Tab for Maurice, the Dunkin Donuts mascot.
• Dunkin Donuts encourages fan posts to the Wall; there are even videos posted by fans.
• To manage fan posts, “DD Facebook Etiquette” is posted right on the front page; this makes it clear that DD welcomes fan interaction, but within specific parameters.

Aquilent – http://www.facebook.com/Aquilent

• It’s clear that Aquilent is targeting potential recruits and existing staff with its Facebook page.
• This government contractor does a great job of showcasing the company’s culture and events.
• The posts are a mix of updates about events at Aquilent that cover technology, health and fun.
• The photos are great and seem to generate lots of great comments from fans.

PBS – http://www.facebook.com/pbs

• I love how the PBS fan page encompasses PBS’ different offerings, including TV, Web site and online store.
• Many of the posts actively solicit fan engagement.  A recent post asks “NewsHour correspondents detail their favorite books, films, concerts and plays of the year. What do you think of their picks?”
• Facebook fans were recently offered a 20% off coupon +free shipping.  Nice insider post with a custom coupon code that lets PBS track the source of the sale; great e-commerce tie-in!
• PBS sponsors a discussion forum where fans can start discussions about any topic related to PBS and its programs and services.
• The fan page also lists online events that fans can participate in, including live chats.

City of Alexandria – http://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaVAGov

• As a resident of Alexandria, I think the city does a great job of posting the most important city news, updates and events.  I get weather advisories, health updates, and highlights of city events.
• I’m still subscribed to the City’s emergency alerts and still get my Alexandria Gazette weekly; the Facebook fan page complements these services really nicely.

Matrix Group International – http://www.facebook.com/MatrixGroup

• Since I run the place, I better like my company’s Facebook fan page. 🙂
• But seriously, I think the Matrix Group marketing team is doing a good job of highlighting company culture and events, Web site launches to showcase our work, and individual staff accomplishments.
• We try to post a mixture of updates, links and photos.
• We also promote all of our webinars through Facebook to try and reach a wider audience.

How about you?  What are some of your favorite Facebook fan pages? What do the pages do and feature that make them so effective?

If you want more tips for creating an effective Facebook page, check out these articles on All Facebook and Mashable.  There are also great resources directly from Facebook.