Any brand or company entering the world of social networking and marketing will eventually run into Facebook (heck, even Tim Horton’s is on Facebook!). What started as a university-only networking site has now grown into 300 million users, 50% of whom log on at least once per day. That’s a whole lot of eyeballs! It’s no wonder many marketers these days are using Facebook to interact with their customers.
If you’re new to Facebook or even if you’ve only been a personal user, then you may be wondering what you can do to promote your company through Facebook. Currently, there are two options available to you – a Group Page or a Fan Page. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages and either or both may be right for you. But which one should you choose?
Fan Pages and Groups have features which seem similar – they function as a way to bring a lot of people together, in support of a single person, event, goal, etc. They’re both a great way to keep track of a lot people at any given time. You can post photos, have your own wall discussion, contact members and comment on other people’s pages.
However, there are distinct differences. A primary difference is that Fan Pages can stand alone and function on their own. When you create a fan page, it is, for all intents and purposes, considered a separate entity (similar to when you create a corporation.) If you use Facebook for personal reasons, then your personal profile and Fan Page won’t be connected unless you become a fan of the Page. Some people find this useful – after all, you don’t really want your clients to look at pictures from last night’s bachelor (or bachelorette) party!
There may be some instances, however, where Groups are a better fit for you. Because of administrative features, it’s easier to control groups, in terms of memberships – you can invite people to your group and only they can have access to the information. Some people like the more informal and intimate group settings and the fact that you can appoint “officers” and “administrators” to help manage the group.
You can even restrict the access to your group based on age or location. If you’re the type of person who just wants everything in one place, then you can immediately get instant updates as to what’s happening in the group. Note that groups do have a limitation of 5,000 members.
While some like the “exclusivity” of Groups, others think Pages offer much better functionality. Which one you choose really depends on your objectives. Groups are great for smaller companies, events and short-term activities. You can instantly send out messages to everyone in your group and the interaction is on a smaller scale. Fan Pages, on the other hand, are better for sustaining long-term goals and are indexed on search engines – so even if someone isn’t on Facebook, he or she can still access the Fan Page.
It is possible to have both a Fan Page and a Group Page – you can create a Fan Page around your brand and create separate groups to manage sub-brands or events. You may find that both can work for you, so give it a try!
If you’re still confused, please do drop us a line ! We can tell you more about Facebook, Pages, Groups and recommend which one would be best for your business.
Tags: Facebook, Online Marketing, Self Promotion, Social Media
