Facebook: Groups or Pages?

By Caroline • May 20th, 2010

The hottest trend in internet marketing is now Facebook. Facebook has plenty of potential as a marketing tool if you use it wisely. Amongst the many opportunities to promote your product Facebook Pages and Groups are perhaps the most effectual and simplest methods of promoting your brand. However, many people get confused by the two and need help to understand the differences. Here’s a quick overview:

Facebook Groups
The original method of community-building marketing, groups are still popular, and for good reason. A group can serve as a center for everything related to your brand. It encourages people to participate in discussions about your brand, share it with others, and serves as a great way to communicate with your customers and partners.

Groups have a few disadvantages, however. You can’t send messages to your entire group if it’s over 1,000-1,500 members (though this restriction is slated for removal), limiting communication with your group members. Groups also attract more spammers than other methods of advertising, and you might find your time being consumed by dealing with this spam. Also, you’ll need to get a Facebook Page if you want to use applications, nifty widgets that make your page more functional.

Facebook Pages
These are Similar to groups, but there are a few important crucial differences, Facebook Pages are reasonably new concept and are specifically intended to assist businesses promote their brand and engage Facebook users. They’ve similar advantages to groups. However Facebook Pages permit you to advertise your brand and engage potential and current customers.

Another major advantage that Facebook Pages have over groups is that they have better customization and communication ability. Flash, HTML, and Facebook applications can all be built into Facebook Page designs, whereas groups have comparatively few ways to customize them. Facebook groups promote your brand on the profile pages of your group members, Pages have more visibility. You can communicate with your entire membership, irrespective of how many fans your Facebook has accumulated.

Facebook Pages are also displayed to people who haven’t joined Facebook yet, as they are indexed by major search engines such as Google. This is all important if you’re attempting to manage your brand and get it better visibility in search engine results.

Another significant advantage of Facebook Pages is that the web address of your Facebook Page will be customizable. Owning a URL with your keywords and little else can be invaluable for SEO intentions, and the additional advantage is that it will make the Facebook Page address easier for people to remember and locate.

You are able to even see visitor statistics, create events and invite members to them, and promote your Facebook Pages with social ads.

Virtually all of these advantages signal towards Pages getting the upper hand for brand promotion in the long-run, whereas groups are best for drawing attention promptly, for a shorter peiord of time. It’s quicker to get out the word and invite new members to Facebook groups.

So, Which is better: Facebook Groups or Pages?
This is hard to answer as e have their own marketing advantages and disadvantages. There’s no simple answer to the question of which feature is better for brand promotion. It all hinges upon just how you intend to use Facebook as part of your business plan.

Groups and pages are just two of the many ways to advertise on Facebook. Consider start with one (o rboth) an trying out different ideas to see which work best for you and your business.

Caroline Wright, IVAA CVA
The Wright Solution
Professional Virtual Assistance

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