How to Create a Facebook Business Page: What to Fill First

To create a Facebook business Page, log into Facebook on a computer. Click Pages on the left, then Create page, then select Public page Source [1]. Add your Page name and category and click Create Page Source [1]. Meta's steps have no separate "business" option Source [1].

Once the Page exists, Autonomah can create and publish its posts on Facebook, depending on the plan, and you approve every piece Source [7].

You need a personal Facebook profile first Source [2]. Meta says the two are separate Source [2]. Your profile information won't show on your Page unless you share it Source [2]. The eleven steps below are Meta's, listed for a computer Source [1]. Check each step against your screen. Meta's page lists no phone steps Source [1], so on a phone follow the labels your screen shows.

The 11 steps, in Meta's order

Meta lists them like this Source [1]:

1. Log into Facebook, then click Pages on the left.
2. Click Create page.
3. Select Public page, then click Next.
4. Click Get started.
5. Add your Page name and category.
6. Add an optional bio and click Create Page.
7. Add information, such as contact info, location and hours, and click Next.
8. Add profile and cover photos, edit the action button and click Next.
9. Connect your WhatsApp to your Page, or click Skip.
10. Invite friends to connect with your Page, and click Next.
11. Select your notification settings and click Done.

Category, contact info and location are the steps a local business shouldn't rush. They get their own sections.

Why not just use your profile?

Meta says profiles are for personal use, not for businesses Source [4]. Its table says you can advertise from a Page. You can't from a profile Source [4]. Plan to run ads later? Start with a Page Source [4].

Step 5: choose a category that says what you sell

You can select up to three categories Source [3]. Meta says to pick only the most relevant and specific ones Source [3]. Its example: a local sweet shop should choose "bakery" or "dessert shop". "Local business" is too broad Source [3].

The main category appears below your Page name Source [3]. Meta says categories help you show up in Facebook search Source [3]. They also get you recommended to people interested in what you sell Source [3].

Step 7: fill in contact info, location and hours

Meta's setup page asks for a phone number, website and email address Source [2]. Visitors use them to get in touch Source [2]. With a physical location, add an address and hours Source [2]. People then know where and when to visit Source [2]. Meta also says your Page shows up when people look for businesses near them Source [3]. Keep the address current.

Keep the bio short. Meta's advice is one or two sentences about what services your business offers Source [2].

What to set up first

Meta's setup page lists what to set up, and it starts with the photos Source [2]. Name and category come first in the sign-up flow Source [1]. The split below is our reading.

1. Name and a specific category Source [1]Source [3].
2. Profile picture and cover photo Source [2].
3. A short bio and contact info Source [2].
4. Address and hours, if you have a location Source [2].
5. More categories, and the About story Source [2].

WhatsApp has a Skip option Source [1]. It doesn't need to hold up the first four.

Mistakes that cost you later

Meta doesn't call these mistakes. They follow from its requirements and advice.

• Using a profile as your business. Ads come with Pages, not profiles Source [4].
• A broad category. "Local business" is Meta's own example of too general Source [3].
• Linking Instagram without full control. You need full control of the Page to connect an Instagram professional account Source [5]. Both must also sit in the same business portfolio Source [5]. An Instagram account can only be in one portfolio at a time Source [5].
• Not knowing who can manage what. Once connected, anyone with access to either one can manage both Source [5]. For a Page in a business portfolio, Meta offers full or partial access Source [6]. To give someone access, you need full access to the Page or portfolio Source [6].

Connect Instagram when the Page is ready

On Instagram, go to Edit profile, tap Page, then Connect or create, and choose the Page Source [5]. A personal account can switch to professional during linking Source [5]. Meta says connecting enables cross-posting, shared insights and Instagram's business tools Source [5].

Once you're posting, two guides pick up from here. One covers how often to post. The other covers the best time to post on Instagram. For the wider plan, see social media marketing for small business. If you'd rather not decide what to post each week, Autonomah proposes what to post and why, and nothing goes out without your OK Source [7].

How Autonomah does it

Autonomah is an artificial creative brain that thinks up, creates and publishes a brand's advertising Source [7]. You connect each network from your own account and keep control of your access Source [7]. It reads your website and your social accounts Source [7]. It proposes what to post and creates the pieces for each network's format Source [7]. Nothing goes out without your OK Source [7]. See the plans and how it works.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a personal Facebook account to create a business Page?

Yes. Meta says you need a profile to create a Page Source [2]Source [4]. The two are separate Source [2].

Is a Facebook business Page free?

Meta's comparison table says Pages are free Source [4].

How many categories can I pick?

Up to three Source [3]. Meta says to choose specific ones Source [3].

What do I need to connect Instagram to my Page?

An Instagram professional account and full control of the Page Source [5]. Both must be in the same business portfolio Source [5].