Should I set up a Facebook Profile or Page?
Are you planning a Facebook page for your business or organization? You want to ensure that you build a solid foundation, by using the appropriate presence and preventing Facebook problems.
As you probably know, Facebook was created to connect people, not to market a business. However, Facebook is now the most popular social media with which to market your business, so you want to do this right.
One of the common Facebook problems I see is the improper use of a personal account. Many people don’t realize the difference between a Facebook profile and page, and they set up a Facebook profile for their organization. However, it is against Facebook’s terms of service to use a personal account for business or nonprofit purposes.
Others use a personal profile because it is easier to add friends through a personal account than to get users to like a page. Keep in mind that Facebook may remove your profile if you are using it as a business page, and there are distinct advantages of having a page.
There are many things you can do with a Facebook page that you can’t do with a profile. Here’s a partial list.
Facebook Page Advantages
- Facebook advertising (the quickest way to acquire targeted fans/likes)
- Analytics to determine effective posts, demographic data, and more
- Host unlimited fans/likes (profile limit is 5,000 friends)
- Ability to add Like button, Like box, and activity feed on your Web site
- Ability to add page administrators
- Help protect user privacy
- Last but not least, get your page listed in search engines!
It can be challenging to figure out how to set up your Facebook presence. Here is a helpful link for some common questions about Facebook pages. Also, here is the Create a Page link.
If you have already created a Facebook personal profile for your business and you want to use a page, you may be able to migrate it over to a page with some work. This may come with challenges, but it may be easier than trying to get friends to like your new page!
Feel free to ask me questions about Facebook problems here or directly on Facebook.
More help!
Facebook Tricks for Effective Marketing – What’s in a Name?
Another Small Business Internet Marketing Blog by Tina Reed Johnson