The short answer: pick the category that matches the job you want, use the exact same name, phone, hours and area as your Google profile, write a one line intro that says who you help and where, give people one button to reach you, turn on recommendations, answer messages fast, and make sure you own the Page.
Does a Facebook Page still matter for a local business?
It does, just not the way most people think. Your Page isn't where most new customers find you. It's where they check you out after they've heard your name. A neighbor says "call this guy," and the first thing a lot of folks do is look you up on Facebook to see real jobs, real people and whether anybody's home.
If the Page says "Always open," lists a phone number you stopped using, and the last post is from two summers ago, that check goes badly. Nobody tells you. They just call the next name. I called this one straight in 9 contractor marketing myths.
The 15 minute Facebook Page checklist
Do these in order and check each one off.
1. Name
Your real business name, exactly how it reads on your truck, your sign and your Google profile. No keywords stuffed in, no city tacked on.
2. Category
The one that matches the job you want most. A roofer picks the roofing category, not a general home improvement one. An insurance agent picks Insurance Agent. A real estate agent picks Real Estate Agent.
3. Same details as Google
Phone, website, hours and service area, word for word the same as your Google Business Profile. If you work from home, list the towns you serve instead of your home address.
4. One line intro
Who you help, where, and the one way to reach you, in about 100 characters so it reads on a phone. No slogans, no prices.
5. One button
Pick the action button for however you answer fastest: Call, Send message, or Book. One door, not three.
6. Photos that read small
Profile picture: your face or a logo you can read at thumbnail size. Cover: real work or you on a job, with one short line on what you do.
7. Recommendations on
Turn recommendations on in your Page settings. A Page with them turned off can look like it's hiding something. Insurance and real estate agents, check with your carrier or broker first. Some don't allow them.
8. Fast replies
Set up an instant reply in your inbox so nobody waits in silence: thank them, say when you'll get back to them, and give your number.
9. Feature your best post
Pin or feature one post that shows real work and how to reach you, so it's the first thing people see.
10. You own it
You hold full control of the Page, plus one person you trust as a backup. Helpers get only the access they need.
What should your one line intro say?
Here are a few that work. Swap in your trade, your towns and your number.
- Contractor: Roofing and gutters for [TOWN] and [TOWN] homes. Free estimates, call or text [NUMBER].
- Insurance agent: Home, auto and life coverage for families in [TOWN]. Call or text me, [NUMBER].
- Real estate agent: Helping buyers and sellers in [COUNTY] County with [BROKERAGE]. Call or text [NUMBER].
Agents, run the wording past your carrier or your broker first. Your Page counts as advertising, so the same rules apply as anywhere else.
Why does your Page have to match Google exactly?
Because people check both. If your Page says one phone number and your Google profile says another, a customer doesn't know which one to trust, and a lot of them won't try both. The same name, phone, hours and area everywhere is the cheapest trust fix there is, and it's one of the 8 things our X-Ray checks.
How fast should you answer Facebook messages?
As fast as you'd answer the phone. A message on your Page is a lead, same as a call. If you can't answer right away because you're on a roof or with a client, the instant reply buys you a little time. Then call or text them back the same day. I wrote a whole post on how fast to respond to a lead.
Instant reply
Thanks for reaching out to [BUSINESS]! I'm probably on a job right now. I'll get back to you by [TIME TODAY], or call or text me at [NUMBER] if it can't wait.
Who should have access to your Page?
You, with full control, always. Then one person you trust as a backup, in case you lose your phone or get locked out. Everyone else, an employee, a nephew, a marketing company, gets the least access they need to do the job.
If the only full control sits with somebody who moved on, you can end up locked out of your own Page. If someone set up your Page for you, check who has full control today. It takes two minutes and it's your business.
What should you post once it's set up?
Real stuff, a few times a week. A finished job with the town named. A quick answer to a question customers ask you all the time. You on camera for 30 seconds. A happy customer's words, with their permission. That beats a daily stream of stock photos and holiday graphics every time. Our 38 AI prompts make the writing part quick.
Free tools that go with this
Questions owners ask about Facebook Pages
What category should a contractor pick for a Facebook Page?
The one that matches the job you want most, the same idea as your main Google category. A roofer picks the roofing category, not a general home improvement one. An insurance agent picks Insurance Agent. A real estate agent picks Real Estate Agent.
What should a business write in its Facebook Page intro?
One line: who you help, where, and the one way to reach you. Keep it to about 100 characters so it reads on a phone. Leave out slogans and leave out prices.
Should a business turn on Facebook recommendations?
Yes, for most local businesses. A Page with recommendations turned off can look like it has something to hide. Ask for Google reviews first, then let happy customers who live on Facebook recommend you there. Insurance and real estate agents should check with their carrier or broker first, since some don't allow them.
Who should have admin access to a business Facebook Page?
You, with full control, plus one person you trust as a backup. Anyone who helps you, an employee or a marketing company, gets the least access they need to do the job. Never let the only full control sit with someone else.
How often should a local business post on Facebook?
A few times a week is plenty if the posts are real: a finished job, a quick answer to a question customers ask, you on camera. Posting every day matters less than showing you're real, active and easy to reach.
Free X-Ray
See what a customer sees when they check you out
Send me your name and business. I'll line you up against the top 5 in your town: your Facebook Page, Google profile, reviews, listings and website, scored out of 100 with the fixes in order. Insurance agents can use the Agent X-Ray, and real estate agents the Real Estate X-Ray.
Built by hand from public pages. Back to you in 48 hours, and there's no sales call.