What's Your Template?
Whether you inherited a company’s Facebook Page or created your own from scratch, there are SO MANY ways you can customize it. And Facebook keeps adding more and more tools, such as featured user recommendations and adding new buttons to encourage action.
There's a solid chance that, unless Facebook is your full-time gig, you're not aware of all the things you can do to make your page look, like, totes gorge!
This week, we’re going to make sure that you're the one upgrading your Facebook Page, so that you can choose the right one, customize it to your heart's desire, and stay on top of updates and changes Facebook is planning to make in the future.
Templates will help you present your Page in the best light possible. First, let's find out if you're using the right one.
Start by going to your Facebook Page. Click on “Settings” in the top right corner. You should then see a column on the left that lists a ton of options for customizing your Page, from messaging auto-responses to group management to cross-posting. We told you there were a lot of custom settings! For our purposes, click on “Edit Page." Now you’ll see “Templates” towards the top, with your current template selected.
If you’ve never selected a template before, this will likely say “Standard." Click on the “Edit” button and let’s get cracking on choosing the perfect look.
Template Time
With 10 Templates to choose from, clicking through and evaluating each of them can be a little daunting. While some companies may fall neatly into a perfect category, others may be confused about things like, "Am I a shop or a business?"
Here are the main differences between these categories, including which buttons are included (those handy dandy buttons below your cover image that tell a user what action to take) and tabs (the sidebar of features on your Page, which includes posts, pictures, etc.):
Standard: The good ole catch all. This can provide a great, basic backbone for any company Page if you’re not sure where to start!
Buttons: Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, Posts, Reviews, Videos, Photos, About, Community, Groups, Info and Ads
Business: Do you want to post things like jobs, special offers, and featured reviews? This Template is a great starter for a company setting up their first Page.
Buttons: Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, Posts, Groups, Reviews, Videos, Photos, About, Community, Offers, Jobs, Info and Ads
Venues: Choose this one if you’re, you guessed it, an event space or you're looking to prominently feature your location and host upcoming events.
Buttons: Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, Events, Reviews, About, Videos, Photos, Posts, Jobs, Community, and Info and Ads
Shopping: Want to showcase your products directly on your Page? Look no further!
Buttons: Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, Posts, Reviews, Photos, Shop, Offers, Groups, Community, Videos, Events, About
Movies: This one is pretty self-explanatory. Are you a movie theater or production company that wants to feature showtimes? This is your Template.
Buttons: Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, Posts, Reviews, Videos, Photos, About, Community, Groups, Info and Ads
Nonprofits: What’s awesome about this one is that it encourages people to donate -- always a key feature!
Buttons: Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, About, Events, Photos, Videos, Community, Groups, Reviews, Jobs, Posts, Info and Ads
Politicians: Planning on running for office? This connects you directly to your constituents and voters through messaging and personal notes.
Buttons: Send Message, Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, About, Videos, Posts, Events, Notes, Photos, Community, Info and Ads
Services: If you provide them, this one's for you. Consider this stellar option to feature your service offerings on a tab on your main page and encourage people to see what you do first.
Buttons: Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, Services, Reviews, Shop, Offers, Photos, Videos, Posts, Events, About, Community, Jobs, Info and Ads
Restaurants and Cafes: It’s all about that menu, hours, and location.
Buttons: Get Directions, Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, Offers, Reviews, Photos, Posts, Videos, Events, About, Community, Jobs, and Info and Ads
Video: Are you a video blog (a vlog!) or a page that just shares videos? This is the showcase you need.
Buttons: Unlike, Follow, Share, Save
Tabs: Home, About, Posts, Videos, Photos, Community, Info and Ads
Why It Matters
Read through all of the options and think about which one makes the most sense for you and your company. You might discover some options you didn’t even know were possible! And don't forget to prioritize what's most important for your biz success. Does it make sense to have your services front and center? Maybe your shop tab is everything for your company? Remember, the buttons and tabs are all customizable even after you pick your template. This decision just gives you a great tailored place to start.
And, one more reason why this matters: Facebook Pages these days almost always require an advertising budget so that your content can actually reach the people who want to see it. If you're planning on spending some money on ads, it's even more important for you to make sure your Page is all that is can be, so that new users who are curious about you see your Page at its best and are more likely to take the next step towards becoming a customer. Don't turn them off at this critical moment!
These Templates can upgrade your Facebook Page a bit and help you put your best face forward!
Now that you’ve decided which Template is the best, next week we’ll start going over the awesome ways you can take it to the next level.