We all have Facebook accounts, but most of us just don’t have Facebook pages. For whatever reason, the majority of people just don’t want to take that step.
First of all, why would anyone want a Facebook page? Having one provides a very neat and comfortable line between your personal life and your professional work (Mr. Zuckerberg, build up this wall!). On Facebook, people from work and outside of it will want to connect with you. Should you have everyone in the same place, say, your profile?
Only if you don’t mind everyone around the work water cooler knowing what you have been up to. Now, if you are not a heavy social media user, ignore this post, it just doesn’t apply to you. If however you are in the public, one way or the other, and pride yourself on meeting and connecting with a good number of people, you need a Facebook page. Let’s get into why.
No More Fans
Facebook was kind enough to remove the idea of being a ‘fan’ from Facebook pages, thus changing what they mean. No more do I have to make myself lower than you, and become your fan to interact with your page, I just have to like it. So, reason one why you need a Facebook page right now is that it has never been easier.
People are more likely to like your page than they were to hit the fan button. Also, now that you don’t have a list of ‘fans’ quite a bit ostentatious elements that were previously part of having a page is gone. If people like your work, they will like it on Facebook. It’s simple.
Keep Gossip Down
We mentioned this just a little before, but it is so very true that I need to repeat it again. Facebook proper is an excellent and elegant way to communicate with the people you are close to. Few of us have the discipline to keep our friend count down, but you know what I mean.
People that you work with, or for, or even work for you do not need to see all of you on a personal level. If they were friends, and not coworkers, that would be different. If a coworker becomes a friend, then you can move them over. Until then, your page is where they belong.
This is for everyone’s sake. You don’t want your private life exposed, and they don’t want to hurt you by talking about it. You can nip the dragon in the tail, and direct people to your page if they want to connect until you trust them.
Grow Your Personal Brand
This is the big reason that everyone goes on and on about. You must, so they say, have a Facebook page to connect with the fans of your work! I suppose, but this is true on various levels, or perhaps I should say grades.
Not everyone is going to have 10,000 likes on their page. In fact, nearly no one does. However, you can have 35 of the people that really matter to your career, and that is more than enough. More and more we are seeing a simple ‘like’ on a professional’s Facebook page becoming akin to a very moderate LinkedIn recommendation. Having just a few speaks volumes about who you are, and what you do.
I want to say it again: you do not have to have a huge number of likes on your page for it to have value. In fact, expect only a handful to start, and a long, slow incline. Unless you are famous, and if you are good for you, you will start slow no matter what you do. Invite a few people to seed your page, and then let organic growth take over. Tend the plant, but don’t expect a redwood overnight.
Have A Third Leg?
Alternatively, a Facebook page is perfect if you have a second (perhaps moonlighting) job, or a serious hobby. If you are a techno DJ by night, and a cubicle dweller by day, your Facebook page can be a mix of your music and professional life, and you can still keep your personal bits to yourself.
A Facebook page can be just about anything, so let your imagination get the best of you.
It Never Hurts To Start Early
Let’s face it, I’m a veritable nobody except in a few tech circles, so my starting a Facebook was met my real incredulity by my friends(this was back in the days of fans, after all), but I had expert advice: the word of Gary Vaynerchuck.
I asked Gary if I should start the page, and he said yes. If you don’t trust me that is totally fine, but trust the master of hustle and preen. Gary told me “it’s not too early,” and if that is true for me, it is true for you.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make a page. Email the link to me at alex@thenextweb.com and I will be the first person to like it.
Thanks for the motivation. You give me reasons to pursue it.
I actually started with the old-school groups where a certain base was but with no posts, choking on it.
Then as a band, then a musician. The moment was to make the transfer, as I’ve been posting to my latest iteration to create a kind of sandbox so I can understand a bit more about the rhythm to which I’d like the information to be transited, and that’s hard to approach alone (no second opinion on spot).
I shall proceed before my birthday in a couple of weeks. Time for some action, they might like it.
As for the distinction between personal and professional, it’s a problem I live with daily and the water cooler approach interested me and made more aware of the needs from the ‘general population’ although I always want to recreate their opinions constantly by suggestion and asking questions, but that’s another story hehe.
yes, I agree with you and actually have been promoting this same thinking to my friends, family and clients.
Point about splitting personal & professional is probably the biggest for regular people.
And I think most companies, small -> big, should also get a FB page, especially small businesses =)
Well, although you won’t be first, do Like the page of my recently started biz =D Thanx!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/divajn/132037903478499
My biggest concern is confusion. What happens when people search for you on Facebook and find two places? There really needs to be a better solution for this — and I think it’s probably the ability to put contacts into different groups – with different access levels.
It’s not that hard to create a post and make it viewable to everyone — while by default all created posts are viewable only to “friends”.
I agree that every brand should have a Facebook page now, I mean come on it’s 2010! Our page isn’t new but we would love to have you as a fan Alex, http://facebook.com/spidvid
Having a Facebook page is fine. In additional to my “personal” (which I don’t really use for anything all that personal so it is public), I also maintain a business page (under my company name) and pages on some of the shows I produce and host. But by no means should Facebook be your only Internet presence. Register a domain name and create your own site(s). Facebook is just one outlet, it’s not the Internet though. You should not trust your business or career solely in the hands of one third party like Facebook.
100% agree! It is so easy to setup a nice Facebook page for your brand especially with the DIY page creator at http://www.faceitpages.com
We have seen many companies provide support and announcements through their Facebook page wall. It is a great way to connect with existing customers and reach out to new ones.
I think there needs to be an article about liberating yourself from Facebook.
So many times, a great outing with friends is quickly ruined by people too attached to their cell phones and checking Facebook notifications too frequently.
People are becoming addicted to Facebook and it’s starting to get in the way of real life.
Theres no need to use Facebook at all………whats wrong with email? or talking on the phone to your friends?
People are only signing up to Facebook because of the hype and to ‘see whats it all about’
its no diff to Hi5.com, Beebo, Friendster, Myspace
Just the hype keeping this Facebook alive…
i wont a face book page
I think it’s a great idea for individuals to have a Facebook page – but for most businesses it should be imperative. With over 500 million users worldwide, its a market that the majority of companies simply can’t/shouldn’t ignore.
A bespoke facebook page ( http://www.clickymedia.co.uk/social-media/facebook-page-design/ ) is now nearly as important as a website for many businesses.
Now, there are more than 600 million users on Facebook. Having a Facebook page can dramatically influence your impact on your market and create a lasting impression on your clients and prospects. Facebook pages FTW!
Customizing a Facebook Page