What’s the Difference? Groups or Pages?

What are Groups and Pages? Facebook Groups are pages that you create within the Facebook social networking site that are based around a real-life interest or group or to declare an affiliation or association with people and things. With a Facebook Group, you are creating a community of people and friends to promote, share and discuss relevant topics. Both Groups and Pages are forums for self-selected users to connect around a common interest. A Facebook Public Profile (also known as Facebook Fan Pages, or just Pages) are special profiles meant to promote a brand, a product, an artist, a web site, an organization.

Group Page

Facebook Groups Best for fostering member-to-member collaboration. – Alumni groups – Study groups – Clubs/organizations – Special interest groups – Beta test groups – Class project/study group

Groups: The Pros & Cons PROS – Can be limited to networks, like California, Pa. – Can control who joins by making group open, closed or secret – Can message all members (up to 5000 members) – Messages go to members inbox. – All group activity goes out into feeds (wall posts, photos uploaded, discussion threads, etc.) – Anyone can start a group around any topic – More personal CONS – Is an extension of a personal account, so content is linked to a person – Once over 5000 members, can’t message all members – Minimal customization – Can’t add applications – Tricky to delete – Can’t assign custom username – No analytic or demographic information available – Administrator name is public

Facebook Fan Pages Best for broadcasting messages to your fans if you are a business, organization, celebrity, public figure, band or other entity. – Cal U of PA – Adam Sandler – Gene the Werewolf – Starbucks – Mayor Casey Durdines

Pages: The Pros & Cons PROS – Can target advertising – High level of customization, including applications and HTML/FBML – Allows options for connecting Facebook content to your own website through Facebook Connect – Comes with traditional apps like Notes, Events – Analytical capability through Insights. Can track growth of fan base, page views, demographics. – Suggest to Friends feature – Indexed by Google – Can have multiple pages – Can have unlimited fans – Can message all fans – Can promote your Page on other people’s Walls – Open to everyone – Account can be tied to a generic account, not an individual CONS – Can’t privately message all members – Messages go out as an Update to the fans, not to their inbox – Accounts tied to individual account forever (for now) and can’t be change – Generates little activity via the News Feed

Conclusion "While Groups and Pages now look the same, they still serve different purposes. Groups are for fostering member-to-member collaboration, while Pages remain the best way to broadcast messages to your fans if you are a business, organization, public figure or other entity.” --Knot Pipatsrisawat, software engineer intern at Facebook

Links & Reference Material Facebook Pages vs Facebook Groups: What’s the Difference? Giving Groups a Stronger Voice Facebook Pages vs Groups: Which do I Use? Facebook Groups vs Facebook Pages Facebook Groups Finally Getting a Makeover Facebook Groups vs Facebook Pages – Which Is Best? Facebook Groups Gets A Facelift How to Develop a Facebook Page That Attracts Millions of Fans Facebook Page Statistics Make a Facebook Page For Your Small Business

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