When you create a business page on Facebook, you’ll immediately notice that things look a little different than your personal profile. The whole top half of your page is filled with what’s known as the Admin Panel. Don’t worry, only you (and other admins if you have any) can see this. The Admin Panel contains quite a few sections. Some of these sections (such as your cover image and tabs) are editable while others are informational. Others still are navigational in the sense that they’ll take you to additional administrative areas.

Let’s start at the top and work our way down.

• The top bar: This bar contains Create Post, Edit Page, Build Audience, See Insights, Help, and Hide/Show. Create Post is self-explanatory. Edit Page is where you’ll go to adjust your page settings, add a new administrator, use the Activity Log (to see your activities and any scheduled posts), or switch to your personal profile. Build Audience is for either inviting people you know to like your page or building a Facebook Ad. See Insights takes you to Page Insights where you can see a graphical representation of likes, reach, and engagement as well as learn more about the demographics of your audience. Help takes you to Facebook’s Help Center and other helpful resources while the Hide/Show button hides and shows the Admin Panel.

• The top row: The main area of Admin Panel is a small table consisting of two rows. The top row contains the Posts/Notifications area and Messages. Posts shows you a snapshot of your most recent posts, total reach, and paid reach. It also offers the opportunity to “boost” individual posts which really means create an ad that promotes that post. Messages displays any messages sent to you by other Facebook users. You can respond to messages there, too.

• The bottom row: The next row includes Get More Likes (Promote Page), Pages to Watch, and Page Tips. The Get More Likes section is simply a shortcut to creating a Facebook Ad. You can also click the See Likes link to view recent likes. This is also the area where you can make someone an Admin. The Pages to Watch section is for keeping an eye on other pages and how many likes they are getting. If you want to keep up with your competition, add their pages to this section. The Page Tips section contains tips from Facebook. This section occasionally changes but typically includes tips on how to build your audience such as “Invite email contacts.”
• The cover area: Down where your cover image appears you’ll find a few more administrative options including: Update Page Info, Follow, Gear Icon, Tabs, and various editable profile options. Update Page Info takes you to a much more involved page where you can add your URL, company details, products, awards, email address, and more. Additional tabs include: Settings, Admin Roles, and More. Explore these different options and update your page accordingly. The Follow button is basically a like button. You can follow your own page and see your posts in your personal news feed if desired. The gear icon contains a submenu: Create Ad, Create a Page, Share, View Insights, Visit Help Center, and Send Feedback. It also contains links to Facebook’s privacy policy and terms. You can also edit your cover image, profile photo, “about” text, and tabs.