People ask me all the time how to create a fan page on Facebook. It can be a little difficult on Facebook to find where to begin. In this post I’ll walk you through the steps of creating your fan page. Creating the page is relatively easy to do, developing a strategy to build and engage fans is a bit more difficult. We’ll talk about Facebook fan page strategies in another post.

Here are quick and easy instructions to create your Facebook fan page:

Step 1: Create a personal profile.

First off, you need a personal profile to go along with the fan page. Facebook does not allow fan pages to exist alone. If you are a marketing person building a fan page for your employer, I suggest you create a new profile using a generic business email, like marketing@yourcompany.com so that your personal account is not linked to the fan page.

Step 2: Create the fan page.

The easiest way to create the page is by clicking on “Create a Page for My Business” link from another fan page. Or just click on the link I just created, it takes you to the correct place.

Step 3: Choose a category for your page.

This is where it gets slightly confusing. If you’re a local business, you may choose “Local” then pick the appropriate category. If you have an online business, or sell to a national audience, then choose “Brand, Product, or Organization”. This category is also suitable for non-profits. Bands and Public Figures option is self explanatory.

Step 4: Name your page.

Be careful! You can not change the name of your page. Choose the name wisely. Brands should use the name of their company. For retailers, I like to use the name of the product first, followed by the name of the company. For example: “Leather Jackets by Shoreline Traders”. I tend to name pages with the product category first for search purposes.

Step 5: Finish sign-up process.

Fill in the secret code and click “continue”. Facebook will ask you if you have a Facebook account or if you’re creating a new account. If you created your profile in Step 1, then choose “I already have a Facebook account” and log in. If not, then create a new account following the instructions and click continue. Note: choose to keep your page private for now, you’ll be able to publish it when you have finished uploading content.

Step 6: Add content to your page.

Ta-da! Your page is created. Now, it’s up to you to fill in the details. Next you’ll want to:

1. Upload a logo or picture for your page. Hover over the big question mark where the photo should be and you’ll see the link to change the photo.
2. Include your contact information and website by clicking on the Info tab. Click the “Edit Information” link on the right to do so.
3. Include a brief description of your company or product. Look under the photo area (that big question mark), you’ll see the box where you need to add a description.
4. Add photos and other content. I usually like to add at least 5-10 wall posts before publishing the page. This way the visitor has something to actually read when they get to your new page.

Step 7: Publish your page.

Now that you have content, you’ll want to publish it so it’s visible to both search engines and Facebook users. Click on the “publish the Page” link at the top of your page.

Step 8: Invite Friends to fan your page.

Once your page is published, you’ll see a “Suggest to Friends” link on the left side of your page under the Edit Page link under your photo. If you created a new profile and do not have “friends” yet, then you’ll want to read my next post on developing your Facebook strategy (stay tuned).

So there you have it. 8 Simple steps to creating your Fan page on Facebook. If you need further instruction, or would like us to actually do the work for you, feel free to contact Patti Fousek at CreativeMind Search Marketing for a no-obligation consultation.