Many times when I am meeting with a small business or startup and we are talking about their business online, I’ll ask if they have a Facebook page. Some still do not. They find the process confusing and don’t know where to start. Plus, its just one more thing to manage on top of their long to-do list.

Why do you, as a small business owner, need one? Check out these stats from Facebook:

Think about this: your clients are not going to visit your website everyday, but more than half of all users access Facebook page in any given day. That is over 750 million people you could potentially reach with a daily status message. Plus, a Facebook business page offers these advantages:

1. Business pages are visible to even those without a Facebook profile account. If you send a Twitter message or email  with a link, anyone can view the page.

2. Business pages are indexed outside of Facebook. Meaning, if someone does an online search of your company, this is one more link that will come up.

3. Not sure who your target market is? Facebook pages can help you figure that out. Each page keeps statistics of who your followers are and who is participating. It will tell you if they are male or female, their age range, where they are located, what language they speak, and more.

4. With a regular Facebook profile you are limited to 5,000 friends. With a Facebook business page the number of fans is unlimited. This might not be a huge thing if you are just starting out, but always plan for your growth.

5. A Facebook business page allows people to post 1 to 5 star reviews about your brand. This is a great way find out if there’s anything you could do better, and get some powerful testimonials.

6. You can further establish your brand. People do business with people they trust. Social media is all about building the trust over time and Facebook is a great way to do that. You also can add links to your Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and other social media accounts from Facebook!

Does your business have a Facebook page? Tell us!