Thursday, September 3, 2009

Facebook: Group vs. Fan Page?

When establishing an online presence for a public official or an advocacy effort Facebook should be part of your communication strategy.

The first question to answer is:  Should I establish a "Group" page or a "Fan" page?

Others have created excellent descriptions of this very topic.  Click here for the Mashable version of an excellent tutorial of the similarities and differences.

In short, Fan pages are more public and visible.  They are indexed by Google.  Politicians tend to prefer Fan pages.

Group pages can be private and are more personal and are not indexed by Google so not found by a search.  Alumni clubs and more personal contacts tend to create groups.

From Mashable:

The bottom line


Groups are great for organizing on a personal level and for smaller scale interaction around a cause. Fan pages are better for brands, businesses, bands, movies, or celebrities who want to interact with their fans or customers without having them connected to a personal account, and have a need to exceed Facebook’s 5,000 friend cap.

Facebook is constantly updating the functionality of pages, so be sure to evaluate your needs with the latest information.

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