How to Invite Friends to Like a Facebook Page (Phone and PC)

You've set up a Facebook Page, you've posted a few times, and now it needs its first few followers. The quickest place to start is people who already know you, so inviting your friends is a sensible first move. It takes a couple of minutes, and I'll walk through it for both a computer and the phone app.

One quick note on wording. Facebook's help page for this job is called Invite friends to follow a Page or profile, so you'll see Follow in places where you might expect Like. The invite steps are the ones below, and Facebook's pages use follow for the same action.

Inviting friends to like your Facebook Page on a computer

These are the steps in Facebook's help page for inviting friends to follow a Page on a computer:

1. Go to the Page you'd like to share with your friends.
2. Click Options below the Page's cover photo and select Invite friends.
3. If you're asked, click Switch below Switch profiles in the pop-up box, so you're choosing from your personal profile's friends.
4. Click the names of the profiles you want to invite to follow the Page.
5. Click Send invitations.

That Switch step is easy to miss. The invite box can show a different profile from the one you expect, so use Switch to make sure you're choosing from the profile whose friends you want to invite.

Inviting friends to like a Facebook Page on the phone app

On the Facebook app for iPhone or Android, the steps are:

1. Go to the Page you'd like to invite friends to.
2. Tap Options at the top of your Page.
3. Tap Invite friends.
4. Select the friends you'd like to invite.
5. Tap Send invitations at the bottom.

Keep an eye on the wording on your own screen, as menus move between app versions. The Options button and the Invite friends choice are what you're looking for.

Who to invite to your Facebook Page, and who to leave out

It's tempting to tick every name, but a Page with followers who care does better than one with a pile of people who never look at it. A few rules of thumb from how I'd do it:

• Start with people who've said they like what you do: clients, collaborators, customers and colleagues.
• Add friends and family who'll react to your posts, because early reactions make a Page look alive.
• Skip people who'd find it irritating. A polite one-off beats pestering.
• Explain why. A short message to a few people, saying what the Page is for, gets more follows than a silent invite.

How followers and likes work on a Facebook Page now

Facebook's Help Centre describes following a Page as adding that Page to your Feed, and the help article on this topic is framed around following. So when people say like a Page, what they're doing in Facebook's own words is following it. For a Page owner, that means your invitations are a way to put your posts in front of people who'll see them in their Feed.

If you also want people who aren't your Facebook friends to find the Page, there are other ways to spread the word. My note on Facebook Page QR codes explains where to find yours, which is handy on printed material, packaging and slides.

Inviting friends to follow a Facebook profile instead of a Page

The same help page covers inviting friends to follow a profile. On the phone app, you go to your profile, tap Options below the cover photo, tap Invite friends, select the friends and tap Send invitations at the bottom. Facebook adds one condition: if you want your followers to be able to invite their friends to follow your profile, you must have pro mode turned on.

Growing your Facebook Page after the first invites

Invitations only get you so far. Once you've sent them, the best use of your time is posting regularly and being where your audience is. Facebook groups are one place to do that, and my list of Facebook groups for marketers can help you find communities in your area. Read each group's rules before you post anything about your Page.

It's also worth connecting with people one to one. If your friends list is thin, my guide to adding friends on Facebook helps you build it, since your friends are the people you can invite.

If Invite friends is missing on your Facebook Page

1. Check you're on the Page itself, not on your personal profile or your Feed.
2. On a computer, click Options below the cover photo. On the phone app, tap Options at the top of the Page.
3. Make sure you're using the right profile. Use the Switch step in the invite box so you can see the right friends list.
4. Update the Facebook app, close it and reopen it, then look again.
5. If the option still isn't there, report it through Help and support. Facebook's Help Centre also has a separate article on seeing who follows your Page.

This guide is part of my Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I invite friends to like my Facebook Page?

Go to the Page, click or tap Options, choose Invite friends, select the people and send the invitations.

Why does Facebook say follow instead of like?

Facebook's help pages describe following a Page, which adds the Page to your Feed. The invite article is titled Invite friends to follow a Page or profile.

Why can't I see my friends when I invite people to my Page?

On a computer you may need to click Switch below Switch profiles in the invite box so you're choosing from your personal profile.

Can I invite friends to follow my personal profile too?

Yes. Facebook says you can invite friends to follow a profile from the phone app. Followers can only invite their own friends to follow your profile if you have pro mode turned on.

Is there a limit to how many friends I can invite?

Facebook's help page doesn't state a limit. Pick people who'll be interested, rather than everyone on your list.