So, you finally broke down and decided to set up a Facebook Fan Page? Now what? You update and update but only your mom and her three closest friends seem to be showing any interest. Don’t worry, there is a quick and simple way to promote your Fan Page to anyone who is interested. Just follow these steps.

1. Log in to Facebook and scroll down to the bottom of your Fan Page. Click the “Share” icon.

2. You have the option of posting it to your personal profile (all of your personal Friends on Facebook will see it in their Newsfeeds). I would suggest instead that you click on “Send as a Message instead.” This option allows for you to give your appeal a personal touch. It also lets you contact anyone (not just your own Facebook friends) and it will avoid bothering your old high school or college friends with something they might see as “spam.”

3. Type the names of any of your Facebook friends that you want to suggest your page to. As you begin to type Facebook will produce a drop-down menu from which you can easily select the name you want. This is very helpful when you want to invite people whose first or last names you may have forgotten. You can also type in email addresses here. If you send a suggestion to someone who doesn’t have a Facebook account, they will have to join Facebook before they can become a fan of your page. Also, don’t forget to type in a personalized message for the person or group of people you are suggesting your Fan Page to (something more interesting than “Hey, check out my Facebook Page!” but don’t try to be Hemingway).

That’s it! Just hit “Send Message” and you are done. Keep in mind that there are other ways to promote your Facebook Fan Page. The end goal, however, is to promote your business and products so be sure that the fans you are collecting will actually be good prospects. Once you have a solid fan base you can begin to market your business through this social venue, enticing first-time customers and developing greater trust with long-time clients.