The Checklist All Facebook Pages Absolutely Must Have

Jasper Krog @ edelman digital

Creating a successful Facebook page requires more than just a few clicks. There’s so many things to consider, it’s difficult to stay on top of it all. But we’ve got just the thing for you: A checklist. Print it out or save it on your computer so you can check off tasks once you’ve completed them.

1. Analysis

Task	Description	Complete?
Internal Analysis	Do I generate added value for my business and my fans with my page? Do I have the resources (time and money)? Does it fit with my business strategy?
Target Group Analysis	Who is my target group? Is the target group actually on Facebook? Are the fans on my page part of the target group?
Stakeholder Analysis	Are there active fan pages for my brand? Is it possible to partner or merge with any of them? Tip: Merge the pages — here’s Facebook’s explanation of how to do this.
Competitive Analysis	Are my competitors active? What are they doing? Tip: Compare fan page with others.

2. Strategy

Task	Description	Complete?
Define Objectives	What are my objectives for the fan page? Are they reasonable and measurable? Do they contribute to the success of my business? Are they smart?
Define Key Performance Indicators	How do we measure success? (Number of fans, user engagement, increase in sales, and so on.) What do we want to achieve? Which metrics should we use? Tip: Define clear objectives and metrics upfront for a certain time frame and continuously check performance.  Interesting case studies can be found here.
Create a Framework	What resources do I have available? What departments need to be involved? Who is responsible for what? Tip: Involve all internal and relevant stakeholders (marketing, legal, customer support) in a timely manner and create processes and outlines for responsibilities.
Define Processes	Who is the responsible spokesperson within the company? What are the processes for approval? Tip: Outline an approval process that serves as a binding, unmistakable guideline for community management. Plan for quick processes that enable the CM team to act.
Plan Content	What basic content will be posted? Tip: Avoid marketing and advertising text. Facebook requires individual contributions that adapt to the platform, its environment and behavior.
Internationalization	Do I need a central fan page or country-specific fan pages? Are the target groups within the markets big enough for individual pages? Sufficient resources for multiple pages and translations? Tip:Single status updates can be directed at different countries and languages.
Direction	Is the fan page long term or is it campaign driven? How will the users be directed to the right page?

3. Basic Set-Up

Task	Description	Complete?
Page Name	Is the page name fitting and can it be used long term? Does it conform to policy and the law? Does it communicate your objectives? Will potential customers/fans search using this name? Tip: The guidelines for Facebook page names can be found here.
Profile Picture	How do I best use this image? Can it be used with the profile banner as a single unit? Does it meet objectives? Tip: Within settings for the profile picture, a thumbnail for posts can be cropped and selected. Here’s some advice on images.
Info Tab	Is all relevant company information provided? Can a fan get in touch via email or phone? Tip: The information options within the Info Tab vary depending on the type of fan page selected (local business, film, company, etc.)
Create a Vanity URL	What address do I want? Are there Facebook rules against it? What are the rights for the URL? Is it communicated in marketing? Tip: Click  here to create your own vanity URL . Be sure your page is selected.
Welcome Tab	Is there a start page for non-fans? What information is provided here?
Applications	Which applications are needed on the fan page? Does it need any at all? Who designs them? Who implements them? What resources are necessary?
Integration with Other Channels	Am I active on Twitter or YouTube? Should these channels be integrated as a separate tab on the fan page?
Netiquette	Does my page require netiquette? What should be included? Can I bypass Facebook rules here? Tip: Examples of good netiquette appear here.

4. Community Management

Task	Description	Complete?
Editorial Plan and Responsibilities	What content will be posted within the next weeks? Who is responsible and serves as administrator? Do we speak informally or formally? Tip:Create an editorial plan that outlines when contributions are to be posted and name clear responsibilities so that even in emergencies, one person is responsible for the fan page.
Frequently Asked Questions And Approval Process	What are the most common questions? Who can approve any FAQ we create? What legal advice can we get on this? Tip: Create an FAQ in advance and outline posts that require an approval process so the community manager can react quickly and independently.
Crisis Management and Prevention	What are potential crisis topics? What is our opinion? What will be communicated and what not? Who needs to be informed when and how should they be involved? Tip: Develop a crisis plan for well-known issues so your community manager can react quickly.
Monitoring	What is happening on the fan page? What happens on weekends and outside of working hours? Tip: Set fixed monitoring periods, also beyond normal working hours. Determine which comments require a reaction and which do not.
Reporting and Evaluation	What is the atmosphere like? Have goals or KPIs been achieved? How is the activity? How is growth?  Tip: In addition to Facebook Insights, use additional sources for evaluation and develop your own metrics based on objectives. Continually compare this with your determined KPIs and standards, checking at regular intervals.

5. Additional

Task	Description	Complete?
Advertising	Are the advertising campaigns effective? How is the price-performance ratio? Is there a desired clickthrough rate? Who designs and administrates ads? How are they paid for? Is the contact with Facebook Germany necessary? Tip: Start with a small budget and test the effectiveness of ads if you are unsure. You can create and manage ads on your own here.
Marketing and Presence Beyond Facebook	Presence on other platforms: Is my fan page included on my homepage? Within my advertising? How should the fan page be integrated in marketing communication? Tip: Integrate your fan page on your homepage with the so-called like box.