5 Reasons You Need A Facebook Page Right Now

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.

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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.