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From this month's Northeast Mississippi Business Journal:

Scores of local businesses maintain a Facebook presence.

They use their Facebook pages in various ways, including posting pictures of new merchandise, posting daily lunch specials and running contests to get more “likes” or fans.

And as the site grows, small businesses are looking for ways to get more out of the free service.

Here are some tips from Facebook and several business blogs.

1. Create a Facebook page, not a profile or a group. Pages are designed for public figures, businesses or organizations. Profiles are for real people. Facebook Pages are visible to everyone on the Internet by default. Log into Facebook with your personal account, scroll to the bottom and click “create a page.” Select the proper category (local business or place; brand or product; company, organization or institution; cause or community). Be as descriptive as you can with your type of business and address.

2. The name of your Facebook page should be the name of your business. Don’t get cute with punctuation or spelling because it makes it hard for people to search for you. And pay attention to typos. You can’t change your name once you make the page, warns HubSpot.com. Once you get 25  “likes” or fans, secure your username at http://www.facebook.com/username/

3. Upload an in-focus, recognizable photo of your business name, storefront or popular product. Make sure it is no older than two years if there are people in the picture, adds a blogger on next.inman.com.

4. Claim your Place page on Facebook. Be sure to provide a location on your page so people know where to find you.

5. Write a short blurb that clearly describes what your business is. Include your website, phone number and email address. List all of your locations. If you are a restaurant, post your menu. If you are a retailer, include brands you carry. And make sure you post your hours.

6. Be social. Add updates, photos, videos and links about your business to your wall. These will show up in news feed, where your fans and their friends can comment and share them.

7. Give your page consistent voice. Is your brand elegant and refined or are you a quirky sandwich shop? Pick a personality and stick with it.

8. Create an event. Celebrate a launch, holiday or anniversary and promote it to your loyal customers. Take pictures of cupcakes you’ll be serving later that day at a store birthday party. Build excitement.

9. Check your page daily. Set aside five to 10 minutes each day to post updates and respond to comments. Responding to wall posts from your customers and updating your page on a timely basis allows you to keep in touch with customers just as you would when they’re visiting your physical store location.

10. Create a conversation calendar. Write down what you want to post and on what days. Brainstorm topics in advance. Think about themes that you can do on specific days, such as the weekly specials every Monday or highlight a piece of jewelry every Wednesday.

11. Check the metrics on your page's “Insights Dashboard” regularly. Look at who your customers are, what day of the week most people visit, how often people comment and which posts are most engaging. Update your page at times when fans are most engaged and encourage participation with weekly features and other regular content that receive the most comments.

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What should you post on your page?

• Photos, videos, menus or other "sneak peaks” about new products and events.

• Photos or videos of events you’ve held or sponsored. Post photos of your business, inside and out. Post photos of your merchandise and your products. And post photos of you and your team.

• Questions. Ask for feedback on a product or service. Thinking about remodeling your store? Ask customers what their favorite feature currently is.

• Cool things your employees are doing.

• Links to blog posts on your website.

• Links to trends in your industry. For example, if you are a rental business and a trade magazine does a story about how more people are renting wooden chairs than metal, post that on your page.

• Links to stories about events near your business. If your business is downtown near a festival, post a link to the event’s website.

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How do you get more fans for your business page?

• Take advantage of features on your page. Click the “Get Started” button under your default image and “invite your friends,” Hubspot recommends.

• Tell in-store customers. Add calls to action such as “Like us on Facebook” on in-store signs, emails and business cards.

• Promote your URL. Add your Facebook page link to your business cards, flyers or receipts.

• Get the Like button on your website. Make it easy for people to like your page, even when they're not on Facebook.

• Set up “check-in” deals where fans who “check-in” at your business on Facebook earn benefits. Reward loyal customers with discounts and other special offers.

For more tips, go to http://www.facebook.com/business/pages/