Facebook group vs. Facebook page

April 3, 2009 8:31 AM

Blog has a Facebook group . . . but I think maybe it wants a Facebook page. What is the real difference? Advantages/disadvantages? If I switch from group to page, I'm going to have to start from scratch, i.e. invite everyone all over again, right?

As it stands, the Facebook group is envisioned mostly as a way for people who enjoy the blog to let other people know about it. (You see the blog mentioned on your friend's Facebook page somehow and decide to check it out. Success!)

There's not a lot of interaction regarding the blog that needs to take place on Facebook. Occasionally it might be used to let people know how they can support the blog, and for any blog milestones.

So what would be the best way to accomplish this? My impression is that Facebook has revamped pages to be more active than groups, which seem to just sort of sit there and not, say, appear in your feed ever. But please correct me if I'm wrong. And thank you.

posted by veggieboy to computers & internet (3 comments total)

Pages don't have members, just fans. There's a "Become a Fan" link on them and isn't governed my invitation restrictions. You could very simply have both, and post a link on the group main page about the new Page creation -- there's no cost to either one.

When someone becomes a fan, it'll show up on their newsfeed as, "Johnny Q Person became a fan of Blog." instead of "Johnny Q Person joined the group, Fans of Blog" and seems as it would accomplish the same word-of-feed sharing goal.

You may likely be able to simply paste all of the Group details straight into the Page details.

To make a page, just type page manager into the main search bar at the top when you're logged in, and it should appear as a drop-down suggestion. Select it, then click on the pages link in the top left if you're not already there, and you'll see on the top right a "+ Create Page" icon.
posted by Quarter Pincher at 9:27 AM on April 3

Pages have a lot more functionality- they can "use" applications and post stories to the newsfeed. They're essentially a way for someone other than a person to have a profile. They are extremely public, however.

Groups are more limited in their functionality, but have one plus- you can make them private and/or restrict membership in them. So, you can share photos and have discussions with members in private.

Sounds like you want a page. And yes, you'll need to start from scratch.
posted by mkultra at 9:39 AM on April 3

One big difference between groups and pages seems to be that groups are meant to be fan-created and fan-driven (if it's a group for fans of something), and the page, especially after the recent revamp, is meant to be created and run by the entity itself, whether it's a celebrity or an organization or what have you.

So, if you're the blogger, then yeah, you probably want a page. But no reason to abandon the group, either. Both can exist simultaneously.
posted by lampoil at 2:55 PM on April 3