How Facebook Works – Personal Pages, Groups, Fan Pages

Facebook has become one of the most prominent social networking platforms across the entire globe. However, a large portion of businesses, large and small, as well as some people still do not fully understand how Facebook works. Here is a simple, clean-cut breakdown of Facebook's three main ways to connect with other people: Personal Pages, Groups, and Fan Pages.

How Facebook Works – Personal Pages

Personal pages are exactly like what their name implies. They are personal and often referred to as profile pages. In fact, Facebook goes so far as to delineate what personal pages can and cannot be. Facebook clearly states what personal pages or profiles are used for in the FAQ section. “Profiles represent individuals and must be held under and individuals name, while [Fan] Pages allow an organization, business, celebrity, or brand to maintain a professional presence on Facebook.” This statement clearly states what personal pages are for. They are for individual people and must be registered under a single persons name.

While personal pages are not for businesses, it is important to realize that they are necessary to set up fan pages and groups and act as the administrator. The most common option is to have someone at the business set up a personal account and then create the additional pages.

How Facebook Works – Groups

Facebook groups have one unique characteristic that make them unique from fan pages. Groups have privacy settings so that they can be closed off to the public and have an invite-only mode of operation. Additional privacy settings include closed (administrator approval necessary for joining) and open to the public. Think of Facebook groups the same way as private clubs in the offline world. Groups can also appoint officers who can take care of the day-to-day tasks, however they will not have access to all of the administrator settings.

How Facebook Works – Fan Pages

Fan pages are very similar to profile pages however they were created so that large amounts of people can follow businesses, celebrities, brands, and the like. Pages communicate by updates, in which only posts from the Fan Page owner are shown, along with comments from fans. Additionally, fan pages are 100% public and anyone or everyone can become a fan. Fan pages have a little less one-on-one interaction as they are essentially focused only on the subject of the page, whereas groups are designed to be more social and interactive. Additionally, fan pages can have content from the page itself, whereas content in groups is associated directly with the administrator.

How Facebook Works – In Review

In order to create a presence on Facebook, you have 3 basic options: Personal Pages/Profiles, Groups, and Fan Pages. All of these alternatives were created to fit a specific need. Personal pages are for personal, one-on-one interaction. Groups are for specific groups to meet and interact. Fan pages are an easy way for people to follow and get updates from their favorite celebrities, businesses, and brands.