How to Make & Manage a Facebook Fan Page

A Facebook page cannot be assigned a username until you have 25 fans.

Facebook pages are a way to promote your business, non-profit or other entity on the social networking site. Only the official representative is allowed to start and manage a Facebook page, so do not begin a Facebook page for a company unless you actually work there and are authorized to do so. All Facebook pages must be managed through a personal Facebook account. To switch from your profile to your page, click on the "Account" link in the top right corner of any Facebook screen.

Instructions

1. Sign in to your Facebook account. Enter the phrase "Pages" in the search engine at the top of any screen on the site, and choose "Facebook Pages" from the "Facebook" section of your search results.

2. Click the gray "Create Page" button in the top right corner of the screen.

3. Choose a purpose for your group using the six icons on the "Create a Page" menu. Choices include "Local Business or Place," "Entertainment" and "Artist, Band or Public Figure." When prompted, choose a category for your group using the drop-down menu provided. Click the blue "Get Started" icon.

4. Click the "Edit Profile" link at the top of your page to edit the "description," "about" and "website" sections of your page. This screen also allows you to change the name of your page or enter the physical address of your organization, if applicable. Depending on the purpose of your page, other page sections may be available; for instance, a public figure's page has fields for awards and personal interests. Click the blue "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the screen.

5. Click the gray "Edit Page" button in the top right corner of the screen to set the privacy restrictions for your page, such as the minimum age a user must be to see your page. This screen also lets you determine who has posting abilities for the wall and apply a profanity blocklist. Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the screen to save your new settings.

6. Follow the on-screen prompts that appear the first time you look at your page to add a photo and invite people to join your page. In the future, your page's wall will appear in the space where the initial prompts do. The "Edit Page" and "Edit Profile" links will always be available, however. Change your profile picture in the future by hovering your mouse over the current image and clicking the "Change Picture" link.