Social Networking – A DO or a DON’T For Your Business???

PART THREE: PROFILES, GROUPS, PAGES – WHAT THE HECK IS THE DIFFERENCE?

As you may have began to notice, I am more biased towards using Facebook as oppose to other social networking outlets. Why? Well as best put from the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckenburg, “Facebook will move away from being this website and move toward being this platform for applications and this representation of the social graph.” Although it may seem the most complicated of all the social networking sites, it is really just the most dynamic. Dynamics equals a more ingenious platform that is worth our time learning.

*Here is a mind blowing fact for you: The age group consisting of 35-54 year olds on Facebook has grown by 276%. That is a large number for a short amount of time.

So, I advised you to have two separate accounts on Facebook, one as your personal profile and one as your business profile. When I say “business profile” I do not necessarily mean a profile under your business name, but yet a profile as YOU, as a business professional. While logged into your business profile I want you to create a page. Yes, a page. To create a page, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php . I’m sure you can follow directions on how to do so from there, if you get stuck send me a message and I will help you out.

Keeping up to date with your social media really seems like a full time job huh? (Don’t worry it will get easier once you are all caught up and get the hang of it) Especially now that I am adding more to your list! Why am I making you create a page in addition to your business profile? Well, the functionality behind these so called “Pages” is to promote your business. Having a profile seems easier because you are semi-familiar with using it but it is also good to have a “Page” for two reasons:

1. There is more functionality and tools added to the “Page” area to help you better promote your business (Yeah, and that is another conversation itself).

2. *Section 4.2 of Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities states: “You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain (such as selling your status update to an advertiser).”

Unfortunately, this section is not elaborated on. My translation of this is, Facebook has the right to disable your profile for promoting your business. Now Facebook does not currently enforce this in anyway. Key word being currently, and when they decide to delete your profile for promoting your business don’t you want to be glad you played by the rules and also had your business “Page.” Now, I am not saying Facebook will do this or that this will happen in the near future but I just want you to know what we are dealing with here. So don’t panic, continue using your business profile, as I will too, especially while I putting together all the pieces to my “Page.”

Now here is a key difference between profiles, pages and groups. Profiles allow you to add “friends.” Pages allow you to add “fans.” Profiles limit you to having 5,000 friends while Page put no restrictions on the number of fans you can have. Lastly, groups have “members.”

Pages really are a great way to promote your business on Facebook. Another perk is that analytics are available for the page that you create.

*Information was gathered at the following websites for some of the content:

Facebook

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