What’s the difference between a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group?
Which one should I create and what are the advantages and disadvantages of one over the other?
Does my business want a Facebook Page or Facebook Group?
These are very common question I get all the time.. so, I thought I would outline the differences between Facebook Pages and Facebook Groups.
Facebook Pages
Who Pages are For
- Facebook Pages enable public figures, businesses, organizations and other entities to create an authentic and public presence on Facebook
Visibility
- Facebook Pages are visible to everyone on the internet by default
- Users don’t need to be logged into Facebook to find them
- Search engine indexed
- Pages can be configured to be viewed only by people in certain countries
- Page visibility can be restricted to minimum age groups
Who Can Join
- Everyone on Facebook can connect with any Page simply by clicking on that Page’s like button
- Previously known as becoming a Fan
- Pages can be suggested to friends
Who Can Create a Page
- Only the official representatives of a public figure, business or organization should create a Facebook Page
Updates
- Pages communicate by updates which show in a fan’s News Feed (and have allowed the page to show updates)
- Pages are separate entities that stand alone and do not link to the personal profile of the individual who established them (unless they have liked that page)
- No ability to email each fan individually
- Page admins can send updates to fans which appear in the updates section of their inbox
- Facebook Pages can like other Facebook Pages
Community
- A Page’s community is gathered around the brand, business or public figure
Applications
- Pages can have Facebook applications
Wall
- People can write, post content, videos and links on a Page’s wall
- Pages include different Wall views
RSS
- Blog posts can be imported into a Facebook Page
- RSS feeds can be imported into a Facebook Page
Vanity URLs
Statistics and Metrics
- Pages provide statistics and metrics around visitor demographics, likes, comments, page activity, etc.
Adverts
- Can promote pages with adverts
Events
- Can create events
Admins
- Facebook Pages can have admins
Facebook Groups
Who Groups are For
- Facebook Groups allow people to come together around a common cause, issue or activity to organize, express objectives, discuss issues, post photos and share related content
- Facebook Groups are the place for small group communication and for people to share their common interests and express their opinion
Visibility
- Not publicly visible, users must be logged in to search for them
- No search engine exposure
Who Can Join
- Groups offer more control around who can join
- Groups can be,
- Open – anyone can join and invite others to join. Group info and content can be viewed by anyone and may be indexed by search engines
- Closed – admins must approve requests for new members to join. Anyone can see the group description, but only members can see the Wall, discussion board and photos
- Secret – the group will not appear in search results or in the Profiles of its members. Membership is by invitation only, and only members can see the group information and content
Who Can Create a Group
- Anyone can create a Group
- If you want to rally around a particular celebrity or cause, but aren’t the official representative of this celebrity or cause, you can still show your support by creating your own Group around this common interest
Updates
- New posts by a Group are included in the News Feeds of its members
- Groups connect directly to the people who administer them so any activity that occurs on these sites reflects directly upon, and links to, a person’s personal page
- Messages can be sent directly to all members of the Group
- Groups allow for bulk invites, meaning that any group member can also send bulk invites to their friends
- Only Groups with less than 5,000 members can send out email messages, which appear in their inboxes
Community
- Groups are better structured for encouraging member-to-member interaction
- Best for allowing a member base to interact and develop a community without leaving Facebook
Applications
- Facebook applications are not supported by Groups
RSS
- RSS feeds cannot be imported into a Facebook Group
- All activity must be generated in the group
Vanity URLs
- No Customizable URLs
Statistics and Metrics
- No statistics or metrics are available for Facebook Groups
Adverts
- Can promote groups with adverts
Events
- Can create Group events
Admins and Officers
- Groups have administrators that manage the group, approve applicants or invite others to join
- Admins can add officers to a group. Officers have no additional privileges beyond regular members
Conclusion
Facebook Pages work best for brands and businesses who wish to grow their fan or customer bases. Pages are generally better for long-term relationships with your fans, readers or customers.
Facebook Groups are better for smaller, personal interactions around a cause.
