Learn about the 6 Facebook features that can help you engage your online community, reach more people, and work more effectively.

• Before You Start: You have a Facebook page for your business.
• Learning level: 3 | Building Skills
• Article Last Updated: Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Facebook Page Admin Panel Hidden Treasures

Being a Facebook page administrator is a challenging job. It’s more than just posting things and replying to comments.

• There are lots of features and options to learn.
• New research always suggests different tactics to try.
• Facebook is constantly changing. So just when you think you have things under control, it’s a new world.

Every month, I teach a class for beginner and intermediate Facebook page administrators called 10 Vital Skills for Facebook Page Administrators. In it, I cover the ten skills every page admin needs to know to be efficient and effective.

But there is so much more!

I’ve pulled together this list of 6 Facebook page features that can help you take your Facebook use to the next level. Start using them today!

Treasure #1: Allow Replies To Comments

Facebook now lets anyone reply directly to a comment. You can make a reply by clicking Reply under the comment. Your reply shows up directly below the comment.

This feature is great when you get a lot of comments, and when you get several people responding to a comment. Nested replies keep the conversation together, making it easier to see which comments go together.

To turn on this feature, in your admin panel go to Edit Page | Edit Settings and check the Replies feature checkbox.

Don’t forget to use the reply feature when you respond to people who comment on your posts.

Treasure #2: Similar Page Suggestion

Have you noticed that when you like a page, Facebook now suggests other similar pages that you might enjoy? You can add your page to that list with the similar page suggestion feature.

It’s a great way to get your page seen by people who might like it. Facebook puts a like button next to your page to make it easy for people to like your page.

To turn on this feature, in your admin panel go to Edit Page | Edit Settings | Your Settings and check the Similar Page Suggestions feature checkbox.

Now, sit back and watch the new likes rolling in for your page.

Treasure #3: Invite Your Email List to Like Your Page

Here’s a quick and easy way to let your business contacts know about your Facebook page.

Facebook makes it easy for you to send a message to the people on your business email list. They provide easy connection for several of the big email list services (Constant Contact and MailChimp) and allow you to upload a contact file.

To use this feature, in your admin panel go to Build Audience | Invite Email Contacts and locate your business email list location. Click Invite Contacts and follow the instructions.

Treasure #4: Your Audience Demographics

Do you know who likes you on Facebook? I don’t mean their exact names. I mean their demographic information.

Are there more men or women who like your page?
What is their average age?
What cities have the most people who like your business?
Do you have international likes?
You can tell of this at a glance in your Insights.

To review this information, in your admin panel go to Edit Page | Edit Settings | Insights and in the Insights menu, choose Likes (at the top).

Use this information to customize what you share and how you talk to the Facebook portion of your online community.

Note: You must page at least 30 likes to get Insights for your Facebook page.

Treasure #5: Custom Facebook Web Address

When you create your Facebook page, you might have gotten an ugly web address. The good news is that you can choose a better web address that is easier for your customers to remember (and type).

Facebook calls your unique business page web address your username. Facebook has a few rules about selecting your username and some suggestions to help you choose a username that helps you promote your business.

To review or change your username, in your admin panel go to Edit Page | Edit Settings | Basic Information and review your current username in the Username feature. Click Change Username and follow the instructions to choose a different username.

Treasure #6: Help Center for Pages

Facebook has a help center with basic information to help you manage your page.

While the Facebook help center isn’t always complete and sometimes contains outdated information, it is still a valuable resource to help you learn more about your page.

To review the , in your admin panel go to Edit Page | Edit Settings | Help and review the current help topics for business pages.