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Facebook is on a mission to get America’s 25 million small businesses — from plumbers to pizza parlors to boutiques — to actively invest in Facebook ads. Modeling its efforts on how it’s already courting big brands — the Cokes, GEs, and Toyotas of the world — Facebook aims to teach small businesses how to promote their products and services on its platform.

However, this plan could backfire if Facebook doesn’t do one thing first: Teach small businesses how to define and develop their brand. This is true for small businesses as well as for large businesses, and it presents both an opportunity and a risk for Facebook. Branding must come first, before advertising, or businesses will flail on Facebook, potentially sending disjointed messages that could confuse or repel the customers they’re trying to attract.

Before focusing on advertising, Facebook’s first objective should be to help small businesses understand the importance of branding, and give them the tools to identify, develop and leverage the unique brand attributes that make their goods and services distinct from their competition. Key questions must be answered if small businesses hope to craft optimal advertising strategies that meet their broad objectives and reinforce their image with customers. For example:

Continue reading at AdAge.com