In marketing your business on Facebook, you want to make it easy for people to find you.  And please do not do the sin of saying “Find us on Facebook” and posting that on a post-it note size paper next to your cash register.  Sure, online it’s relatively easy to connect people to your Facebook page.  Just find a Facebook icon (click here for the approved versions) and hyperlink it to your Facebook page.  Simple.

But not all of your marketing occurs online.  What about offline marketing materials like your business cards?  What about banners at the local Little League park supporting your business?  Or what about the flyer you want to hand out at the next business networking meeting you attend.  In the example above, you wouldn’t seriously consider putting facebook.com/pages/Advanced-Auto-Repair/267926153519 on your business card because it would either wrap around the back side of your card or being typed in such a small font, that no one would be able to read it.   You want it to be simple and easy for people to remember especially if you’re a well-known speaker like Jen Hatmaker.

So how do you obtain this short username?  That’s simple. Just go to:

facebook.com/username

Now, let’s make a point to say that our goal here is to focus on your BUSINESS or ORGANIZATION PAGE and not your personal profile.  Do not get those mixed up.  Once you are at the Facebook Username page, click the option that allows you select the “web address” or “username” for your page.  If you are the Admin on multiple Facebook pages, then you will see a drop down list of those so select the one you are attempting to change.

The key here is to think about 3 things related to selecting your username:

• Keep it short – Remember, you want it easy to remember and have it fit well on your printed materials.  Don’t make it “Facebook.com/AdvancedAutoRepairDentonTexas” … keep it short!
• Choose wisely – Once you select your username, according to Facebook as of today, you will only be allowed to change this username one other time after you set it.  So choose wisely and put some marketing thought into this.
• Make sure you are not selecting the username for your PERSONAL PROFILE.  I cannot begin to tell you how many times people have contacted us in a panic because they assigned their business username to their personal account.  And no offense to Mark Zuckerberg’s crack customer support team, but good luck getting that fixed if it happens!

Your Facebook username is a specific web address for your Facebook page. If your business was located in Times Square in New York City, would you tell prospective customers, “Just come down to Times Square and find me!”  Absolutely not.  You would give them an exact address so they can find your location.  Think of that when you are setting up your shortened username in Facebook.

-Donny-

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