Facebook has more than 250 million users. That’s nearly double the amount of Mariah Carey albums sold worldwide to date, but who’s counting? Those with purchasing power – ages 35 and up – represent the fastest-growing demographic, so many executives are now realizing (after ignoring it for years) that it’s time to build their company’s presence on Facebook. Here are some tips that will help get you started:

Get a vanity URL
Having a Facebook Vanity URL allows you to protect your company’s brand. It also makes promoting your company, and the page, much easier (Facebook.com/RedBull instead of Facebook.com/6884207243… you get the point).

Add content and get engaged
The “if you build it, they will come” philosophy does not apply on Facebook. You need to give people a reason to be your fan. Add photos and videos, post regularly and encourage discussion. Once you’re trained on social media interaction, respond to posts quickly, authentically and transparently, and try not to take yourself too seriously.

Don’t neglect other networks
Don’t assume consumers know your company is also on Twitter and MySpace, or that they’re going to take the time to find it. Make it easy for them to connect with your company on other networks by including buttons on the side of your Facebook page or on your landing page.

Embed content into your Web site
Facebook Fan Boxes now let you embed the latest activity from your page onto your company’s Web site with ease. This will make consumers who visit your Web site aware that you have a presence on Facebook, and will give them a snapshot of how other Facebook users are interacting with your company.

There are some excellent Facebook page examples out there already – look at Target, Coca-Cola and Red Bull for inspiration.

Remember, though, strategy still applies – you need to identify if this is an appropriate tactic to support your company’s marketing strategy, assess how open your company is to criticism and determine if you have the resources to monitor, promote and build the site.

If you have any questions about how to create a Facebook page or how to add functionality to an existing page, please let us know – we’d be happy to help. Stay tuned for another post on specific tools you can use to optimize your page…