Facebook Pages vs. Facebook Profiles

Many of us have Facebook PROFILEs – this is the place where upload pictures of our grandchildren and adorable kitty cats; post comments to each other; get event invitations and find out about family emergencies. (Well, that’s how my family operates, anyway). Facebook was intended to create a place for people to interact with each other.

It was so effective at reaching thousands of people that businesses really wanted to use it, as well. Thus was born the PAGE.

Facebook PAGEs are different than PROFILEs. Your business cannot have a PROFILE — it can only have a PAGE. While we have seen many a business signing up as a “person” and getting “friends” – their accounts will be shut down as soon as Facebook finds them, and they’ll have to start all over again. Save yourself the grief by creating a Facebook PAGE for your business or organization.

Because Facebook was not intended for businesses, you must still have a PROFILE set up before you can set up a PAGE. Don’t worry, should your company or organization change hands, you can pass the PAGE on while keeping your PROFILE.

A PAGE is a place to house all the pertinent information about your company. They’re so useful because you can include everything that relates to your business in one place with a built-in potential audience:

• Overview of your company
• Website and contact information
• Press releases
• Videos
• Blog RSS
• Twitter updates
• Company news and status
• Customer interaction

What can a Facebook PAGE do for your company that your PROFILE can’t?

• You can keep your PAGE completely separate from your personal life. No one knows who is in charge of it (unless you post it).
• Your PAGE may have several administrators – people who add content, upload photos, change the look, etc. This means you may delegate! Don’t worry; these people do not have access to your PROFILE.
• When people become fans of your Facebook Page, their friends are notified via their PROFILE’s News Feeds. This means you get EXPONENTIAL visibility!
• If someone clicks on a post in someone else’s PROFILE, they are taken to your Facebook PAGE.
• There are all kinds of fun and useful applications and themes that only PAGEs can use.
• PAGEs can have an unlimited number of fans (or “likes”) – PROFILE friends are limited.