People on Facebook create something called a Profile. This profile connects you to your friends. People connect socially via their profiles.
Companies on Facebook do NOT have a Profile. They have a Page. Companies don’t have friends, they have Fans. Facebook recognises that people are different than companies, and has created the Page option for businesses.
On the one hand, Amanda has correctly created a Facebook Page for Mama Jewels: and she has 150 Fans. This Facebook business page is openly visible to anybody on the Internet, can be found by Google, and has the word pages in the web address:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mama-Jewels-Gorgeous-Mummy-proof-Jewellery/141892979186843
However, she has also created a profile for Mama Jewels, which is against Facebook rules. This page can only be seen by people who become a Friend of the “person” called Mama Jewels. She is promoting this profile on her web site, which is a seriously wrong thing to do:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Mama-jewels-Jewellery/100000664753187
And, to really confuse matters, Mama Jewels has also created a Facebook Group where she has a further 90 people who have joined her special interest group;
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=202509786636
Have I confused you yet?
If not, I’ll keep writing until I do!
I’m not too sure about Prescient Power’s Facebook presence. There is a personal profile by that name (http://www.facebook.com/PrescientPower), but I have no way of knowing if it is the business I’m looking for or not, until I request (inappropriately) to become a personal friend. Yikes!
Keep in mind that if you want to have a business Page, but don’t want to be on Facebook as a private individual, then you need to create a Business Account. You can learn more here;
http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=721
If you have a personal Facebook account, you can create a Business Page, and still maintain all the privacy of your personal Facebook page. Your Business Fans do not become your personal Friends.
It is strictly against Facebook’s rules to have multiple accounts.
Need help with detangling your Facebook affairs? Get in touch, and we can help you to plan out your social media marketing strategy, search engine optimisation, and your whole Internet marketing plan.
Comments
Regards Mike
Do you get any traffic from Facebook inbound to your website?
I have to admit when I read this last night it felt as though I had been engineering some highly illegal activity.
I am grateful that you have highlighted these issues and I have taken steps to rectify the situation.
It has amazed me as I go through FRIENDS on Facebook how many companies are making the same mistake.
I agree with Carl, that it is baffling and I'm not sure FACEBOOK has good enough measures in place to prevent this; both large and small companies are making the same error and clearly it is not difficult to do.
Would you now recommend that I set up a Business profile upon the closure of my current Mama Jewels Jewellery profile?
With regards incorporating social media into your marketing mix, given your sector (green energy) I would have thought you would have found social media to be highly effective.
Your first step might be to put together your plan, with business objectives. You might find this article useful:
http://www.hallam.biz/blog/2009/11/social-marketing-marketing-strategy-framework.html
And remember social media isn't just Facebook and Twitter...
Best wishes-
Thanks for the comprehensive yet concise information. I must admit I was baffled by what I was supposed to do in setting up a company page and consequently haven't really done anything with it since. I'll now look at creating a proper Company PAGE and delete my PROFILE, although I'm not convinced my sector will generate many FANS. Perhaps you could comment on the social media potential for companies like mine?