In a few steps create a custom Facebook web address that is branded for your business and simple to share with others.
A Facebook web address is another name for the Facebook Username. People often confuse the Facebook ‘Username’ with the Facebook Page ‘Name’. But they are entirely different.
Your Facebook Page Name shows up below your profile picture on your Facebook Page. It also displays beside your profile picture on everything you share on your Facebook Page.
Your Facebook Username is your Facebook business Page website address. When your Username is customized, it provides an easy way to access and promote your Facebook Page.
A customized Facebook Username is not automatically set up when a Page is created. Today, most, but not all, new Facebook Pages are given the opportunity to create their Username (web address) during the process of creating a Page.
For Pages that aren’t (or weren’t) given the option to create a Username when they created their Page, they can create their Username once 25 people have liked their Page.
Why A Customized Facebook Username (Web Address) Is Important:
Here are a few of the reasons why a custom/branded Username is important for your business Page:
- A custom Username makes it easier for you to tell people where to find you on Facebook. “Go to facebook.com/YourMarketingLiaison” not “facebook.com/pages/growingsocialbiz/93829646968“.
- A custom Username is shorter and easier to print on marketing and sales materials. Including business cards, promotional brochures, newsletters, etc. You can also use fb.com followed by your username (i.e.fb.com/YourMarketingLiaison) instead of facebook.com (i.e.facebook.com/YourMarketingLiaison) to keep things short and easier to place on smaller printed items. Both fb.com and facebook.com will take you to the same address on Facebook.
- A custom Username is more professional looking when used in email signature(s), eNewsletters and such. Your Facebook Username hyperlinked to your Facebook Page, will not only remind people you’re on Facebook but also provide an easy way for them to visit your Page. They just need to click the link. (Do this for your website and all of your major social networks.)
- A custom Username secures your business name on Facebook before someone else does. If you don’t set your custom Username early on, be prepared that someone else, either locally or in another country, may get the Username you would like before you do. Just because it’s available today doesn’t mean it will be available a week, month or year from now. For this reason, it’s important to secure the right custom/branded Username as soon as possible!
Making Changes To An Existing Facebook Username
At one time, Facebook Pages were limited in the number of times they could change their Username. Facebook has changed this and a Page’s Username can now be changed more frequently, with no Facebook stated limits. Guidelines for creating a Username are available by clicking here.
How To Create Or Change Your Facebook Username (Web Address)
Creating your Facebook Username (web address) is straightforward. It’s simply a matter of knowing where to look, making sure you have the appropriate permissions (you need to be a Page Admin) and then following the process through.
Here are the steps:
- Log into Facebook and open your Facebook business Page.
- Find and click on the About tab/link below your profile picture.
- On the About page find and hover over the Username field to reveal the ‘edit’ link to the right of the username field.
- Click on the Edit link that appears to open the field where you will enter the Username you would like to secure.
- Enter your preferred Username in the field provided and click Check Availability.
- If the Username you would like is available, double-check the name for errors and click Confirm to save the Username.
Once your custom Facebook Page Web Address is created, you can type it into your browser bar to open your Page at any time.
If you haven’t created a Facebook Page yet and would like to, click here to find out how to do so.
Get Your Social Network Branded Web Address Right The First Time
These tips apply to how you create a social network website address for Facebook or any other social network.
1. Aim for Consistency in Branding
Before you create your custom Username, think about your business branding and the importance of consistency in your branding.
It makes sense to have the distinctive portion of your Username consistent with the name you are using across your social networks and for your website. This isn’t always possible, but it is the best way where it is possible.
It is easier for people to remember where to find you online if all of your sites carry one distinct component. In other words, the name tacked onto the end of Facebook.com (and Twitter.com, Instagram.com, Pinterest.com, etc.) is consistent across all platforms.
A Username that uses some or all of your own business website address (minus the .com, .net, .org, .biz or .ca, etc.) for the distinctive part of your social network addresses, is best.
When creating Username(s) or custom branded web addresses for your social networks aim for:
- Names that are consistent across the various social networking sites
- Names that are short enough to fit nicely on business cards, other print materials and online
- Names that are easy to share verbally … “You can find us at ….”
- Names that are easy for people to remember when they think of your business
2. Title Case Your Username To Make It Standout
Title case the distinctive portion of your social network web address(es) when you create them. Not all social networks allow this but most do. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ will allow you to title case the distinct portion of your web address. LinkedIn and Instagram won’t, at this time.
That said, even if a social network won’t allow you to create the name title cased, you can still title case the name when it appears anywhere in print. This will make it easier for people ‘see’ the name easily (it pops) without having to read the address. It’s a subconscious thing.
For instance, facebook.com/YourMarketingLiaison is much easier for people to recognize without effort than is facebook.com/yourmarketingliaison.
Title casing won’t make a difference to how people type your business name into their web browser bar – upper or lower case.