Facebook Fan Pages vs. Facebook Groups

I am often asked what the difference is between a Facebook Fan Page and a Facebook Group.  The next question is always, “which should I create.”  The answer to the second question depends on what you are trying to accomplish by creating either.

Let’s start with a basic definition of the two:

Facebook Fan Page:  Fan Pages are a popular choice for businesses and brands to share content with their audience and engage with them.  They are separate from being an actual profile page/account that you would have on the personal side of things and instead of receiving friend requests and initiating them, you garner “likes” for the page itself.  These “likes” are what connect you to your audience.  Those that are fans and have “liked” your page, will receive your updates in their news feed (if Facebook’s algorithm determines that they are so privileged).  If they do not interact regularly with your page, they may not receive all of your updates, but if you spend a little money, you can promote your fan page content to extend its reach.

Facebook Group:  A Facebook Group in my opinion, is similar to a forum that does not have sub discussion groups.  A Facebook Group is just that, a group.  They can be made private, which means you can only join if a member adds you into the group or they can be public, which allows you to find them in a search and join on your own.  Groups are usually centered around one subject matter, but that subject could be a company or a topic of interest.  Groups function as a community where members can easily interact with each other within the group posting questions, comments, and sharing visual content.

Which Should You Use?

This really depends on what your goal is.  If your goal is to create a community that can interact not only with you, but with each other as well, create a group.  If your goal is to create an audience that you can engage with directly, create a fan page.  What I do not suggest, is creating a personal profile page for your brand.  It is true that in order to create a fan page, a personal profile account is needed.  Some people fall into the trap of creating an additional personal profile account for their brand, in an effort to keep it separate from their own account.  This can create headaches later down the line and is confusing for those searching for your brand on Facebook.

If you create a separate profile for your brand and a fan page; when users search for your brand on Facebook, both will come up in their search and they may “friend” you instead of “liking” your page.  The result will be you trying to manage a brand profile page as well as a fan page.

Instead, create the fan page using your personal account.  Even though you are using a personal account to create the page, your personal account will not have any visual or obvious link to your fan page to your visitors.  It will also make it easier to set up additional admins for the fan page from your own network and friend’s list.