Every now and then, we get a few questions about managing a Facebook page. From first glance, a page isn’t all that different from a profile. They have the same timeline, the same photos, and the same status updates. Sure, a page can’t be your friend – but you can still follow them, and they can still follow you.
They might look the same, but they’re actually fairly different. So for all of the Facebook page managers out there, here’s a brief refresher course on the limitations of Facebook pages – and the solutions we’ve found.
Difference One: Tagging
People can easily be tagged on Facebook. Just type their name, and you’ll see a drop-down menu of friends to choose from. But have you tried to do the same with a page? It doesn’t matter how you spell the name, or whether or not you’ve “liked” the page – no drop-down menu will show up. This is a big limitation, especially when you’re using your page to separate your business profile from your personal profile.
The Solution:
Facebook and Twitter are are more similar than either company wants to admit. To tag a page (or even a person), just use an “@” sign! If you wanted to tag us, you’d use “@Phases Design Studio”. You can include spaces – Facebook will look out for those as well.
Difference Two: Groups
Creating a Facebook group is a great way to share information with a select number of people. Everyone can post on the group wall, you can add or remove member, and you can even make the group secret.
Unless you’re a page, that is.
You can only add people to a group if they’re your “friends”. Pages don’t have friends – they just have fans. For whatever reason, pages don’t get to make or access groups; you’ll have to use your personal profile.
The Solution:
Since there’s no way to create a group as a page, you’ll have to use a personal profile. Choose a member of your organization, and ask them to be the group leader. As long as they uphold and reinforce the company brand, you can still gain all of the benefits that a private group will provide.
Difference Three: Advertising
If you’re using a page for a business, you have to be really careful about the promotions you advertise. One big rule is that no image can be more than 20% text. This includes cover photos, promoted posts, and any ads you choose to run through Facebook. You also have to follow all of the rules for advertising, even if your post isn’t strictly an ad.
The Solution:
Tread carefully here; Facebook has been known to outright delete pages if they don’t like them. If you’re ever unsure about whether something is okay, just check their page guidelines. Unless you’re flagrantly abusing the terms of use, you should be fine.
Have you noticed any other limitations on your Facebook page? Let us know in the comments!