When setting up a Facebook Page for your faith-based brand or company using the “Pages” application, it can become quite confusing to understand what you should fill in for each section of the page.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to what each section means for you, your ministry or product/service, and your faith-based brand.

After setting up your title and website information, click “edit page”, and this is what you’ll see:

Name: This is where your company, organization or product name goes. Use proper punctuation and spacing so that your name is easily searchable.

Page Address: This is your Facebook web address, which you will set up when you create the page. It is what appears after the slash in the web address, i.e. “Facebook.com/mynewbrand”.

Category: There is a drop down list of categories for you to select from, including church and religious based organizations. Select the closest category to what your organization represents, but don’t be discouraged if it is slightly off base. They are wide, vague categories.

Topics: The three words have to be keywords Facebook already has associated with other pages, so you may have to try a variety of words before you find the ones that work for you. You must choose all three at one time, so focus on using keywords that someone may search for, even if they’re not as specific as you’d like. You want to be “found” in the search results pages that Facebook generates.

Start info and Address: This is the date when you created your page, and your physical address if applicable. If you don’t have a physical business address, or don’t feel comfortable listing it (for example, if your ministry is run out of your home, or if you don’t want your location to be public knowledge), you can just leave that blank.

Short Description: Try to keep this description length to around one short paragraph. It is the succinct version of what your organization or brand is all about. If it’s too wordy, readers may mentally ‘check out’.  A good analogy is to think of this section as your elevator pitch; something you could tell a stranger in just a few sentences.

Long Description: Here is where you can delve into more history about your ministry or business.  Your might add depth and interest by including when the organization was started, and any obstacles you have overcome. It is also helpful to consider adding Bible verses or Scriptures that have been meaningful to the overall vision, especially for a faith-based ministry.  A quote from the founder can also lend a personal touch. Aim for connecting with your prospective new followers.

Mission: A good question to ask yourself when filling this portion out, would be, “Why was this organization or brand started”? For example, if it is a non-profit that helps underprivileged children, a sample sentence would be, “Our mission is to reach underprivileged children in the Detroit area with the love of Christ. We do this through offering free school supplies and clothing to those in need.” Try to be concise here, since other information is more appropriate in the long description.

Founded: Enter the date when your organization was founded. This is different that the “start” date, which is when your page first appeared on Facebook.

Awards: Enter any significant awards won or recognition received.  Try to stick to awards that readers will recognize here, versus unknown ones which can make you appear to be “padding your organizational resume”.

For more Social Media Tips or Marketing Tips in general, be sure to check back often to our blog, and remember that FrontGate offers extensive Social Media Services.  We would be happy to manage the social media content and growth process for you!