Facebook Profile Or Facebook Page For Entrepreneurs

One common question most people have is “Do I need a Facebook profile or Facebook page?” Deciding between these two options is a common mistake people make when using Facebook for business. When you hear about using a page over a profile it’s easy to get confused between the two. 

Most brands and small businesses understand the potential a Facebook page has to offer, but figuring out the elements can be difficult. Most business owners do not know whether they must create a Facebook profile or Facebook page?

Getting started using Facebook for business

Before we get into the differences between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page you will need a personal profile. For more information on setting up your Facebook profile I have a must read article: How To Make An Attractive Facebook Profile.

Facebook requires every business page to be linked to a personal Facebook profile. That being said, all your posts, comments, photos, updates, etc. are separate. The information on your business page and everything shared there will not show on your personal profile unless you manually share them between pages. 

Privacy Info: The public cannot see which personal profile your Facebook business page is linked to.

Facebook has developed 10-fold from where it started, but what it means to be “on Facebook” isn’t as clear. It’s essential to your brand clarity to keep your Facebook presence simple and straightforward

. Facebook allows users to interact as either a personal Facebook profile or Facebook page. Without knowing the difference between the two, it’s tricky to figure out which one your business needs.

 

What is the difference between a Facebook page and a Facebook profile?

Facebook Profile:

With a profile you’re limited to only 5,000 friends, you’ll definitely want to expand your reach.

You can only have one Facebook profile tied to your name.

A profile lets you go everywhere on Facebook… groups, events, pages, you name it! 

You can engage with people in groups or add them as Facebook friends. You can even follow some profiles without officially connecting.

Facebook Page:

You can have an unlimited number of business pages associated with one profile.

Multiple people can manage and contribute to a business page. (Using the page roles feature you can assign people different access such as admin, moderator, etc.).

There are no limits on how many fans or followers you can have.

Pages you can advertise and you have analytics.

When a Facebook Profile serves you better than a Facebook Page

What your business goals are depends on whether or not you should start a Facebook page. If you haven’t started making money each month in your business, then start with your personal profile. 

Having a Facebook page is one more area that you will need to create content for. This can be overwhelming when launching your business.

You cannot receive friend requests on a Facebook page. Facebook pages do not have friends, they have likes aka fans. Which is why a Facebook profile makes it easier to build strong relationships with people. 

Interaction is key to creating a personal brand and your Facebook profile is the best place to network and foster trust with your audience. When building a personal brand, a profile is the only way to go!

When you’re getting started or trying to reach your first income goal, you’ll want to reach out to those that you know first.

However, once you’ve reached out to all your friends on your profile to see if they’re open to learning more about your business. You’ll want to move on to starting a Facebook page to expand your reach and grow your audience without the 5,000 friend limit.

NOTE: It’s against Facebook’s policies to run a business from a personal profile. There are ways to bend this rule and run your business from a profile without being put in Facebook jail or shut down all together.

Having a Facebook Page is better for long-term business success

If you are on Facebook to build your business, you will want to use a business page. All business pages are public. Similar to a website Google and other search engines index Facebook pages.

When using a Facebook profile you will need the Facebook app. The app allows you to do usual Facebook things like share updates, photos, videos, and post comments. If you want to post to your Facebook business page from a mobile device, you must download the Facebook Pages Manager app.

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Every time you post a video or do a Facebook Live from your Facebook page, Facebook will collect all the data from those people who are watching and engaging. They take that data and create a custom audience.

A custom audience is a group of people or audience data (that you can use later on to run Facebook Ads). This can be vital information for your content creation and conversion.

These are HOT prospects with an interest in what you’re offering.

Complete honesty about starting a Facebook page

If you’re getting engagement on your personal profile and you start a Facebook business page, you won’t get the same engagement. It can take longer to build engagement on a Facebook page for that matter.

Organic reach on profiles is higher than the reach on pages. The Facebook algorithm shows more posts from profiles than from pages hands down.

You can use your personal profile to connect with people, share events and leverage groups. Then remind people that your business resources are on your business page.

Another factor to consider when deciding between a Facebook profile or Facebook page is if you want to be seen as a credible and professional business owner.

How to guide people to your Facebook Page

Having people transition from your Facebook profile over to your Facebook page takes intentional focus. It’s all about conditioning your audience to know where and when to expect you and find your content.

Using your profile to share things from your page can help this change. You can add your Page as your employer in your About section to encourage your face book friends to check it out.

Lives are an accelerated way of showing both audiences where you want them to interact with you. By going live on your page and sharing it to personal profile you are going to be seen by more eyes.

If your goal is to create a long-term business, a Facebook page offers the automation you’re going to need, especially as business increases.

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There are many details to consider when using Facebook to grow your small business. There are pros and cons to having a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. But the great news is, you can experiment with running your business either way or even better using both options. I hope this article has given you the details you need to better decide which way you want to use Facebook as an entrepreneur.

Which way are you currently using Facebook, using a Facebook profile or Facebook Page?