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Agent Resources / Online Marketing Guide / Social Media Guide / Facebook / Facebook: The Basics

Who is on Facebook?

Pretty much everyone – Facebook remains the primary platform for most Americans. 75 percent of U.S. adult women and 63 percent of U.S. adult men say they use Facebook. Of those users, 75 percent say they visit the site daily, with around half (51 percent) saying they do several times a day.* So although social media may be viewed by some as only for young people, older adults are frequent users as well.

*Pew Research Center, April 2019. "Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018."

 

You can connect with people on Facebook by adding friends or liking pages (the difference is explained below). What users see when they open Facebook is called their news feed. When a Facebook friend you have added or a business page you have liked creates a post, it will show up in your news feed.

This news feed is set by default to show you the top posts based on Facebook’s algorithm, but you can also customize it to simply show a timeline of the most recent posts from your friends and the pages you have liked.

Profiles:

  • Used by individuals – almost anyone can make a Facebook profile.
  • To connect with someone with another Facebook profile is called adding them as a friend.

Pages:

  • Used by companies and small businesses to promote a product or service.
  • To follow a business page is called “liking” that page.

Actions you can take on Facebook

  • Like, share, comment on, and react to other Facebook posts. This shows your appreciation for a post, and also signals to your audience that you’re an engaged Facebook user. Engaging with other posts may also lead to more people seeing your page and posts more frequently. Keep in mind that when you take any of these actions, your followers are able to see the original post you interacted with.
    • Try this out on our social media posts! Visit Illinois Mutual on Facebook or LinkedIn to get started.
  • Like another Facebook page
  • Post your own original content with pictures, videos, links or just text
  • Customize your profile picture and cover photos
  • Change your privacy settings to control who sees your content, though many businesses choose to keep posts public in order to reach the widest audience possible.
 

Remember!

Facebook pages are different from Facebook profiles.

In accordance with Facebook’s policy, you must use a Facebook page (not a profile) for commercial gain and business purposes. You are responsible for complying with all Facebook policies, terms, and conditions applicable to Facebook pages and profiles.

 

Pages can be verified by Facebook to let people know that the page is truly held by the business it claims to represent.

  • This verification shows up as a blue or gray check mark at the top of a Facebook page.
  • The blue check mark, or “badge,” signifies an authentic public figure, media company, or brand and is applied by Facebook at its sole discretion. You cannot request a blue verification badge.
  • A gray check mark signifies that the page is legitimately representing a particular business or organization.