If you’ve ever asked the following questions:
– How do I log in to my Facebook page?
– How do I add friends to my page on Facebook?
– How do I switch between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page?
Then it’s likely that you need to go back to basics, and first learn the ins and outs of Facebook pages and profiles.
If we know anything about Facebook, it’s that they like to complicate things. So, if you’re completely lost by the whole Facebook experience and are struggling to navigate your way through pages, profiles and groups, then you are definitely not alone.
We’ve put together this handy guide to help you learn the difference between Facebook pages and Facebook profiles, which is the first real step in understanding how to use Facebook for your business.
So, what is the difference between a Facebook page and a Facebook profile?
Simply put, Facebook profiles are for people, and Facebook pages are for companies, organisations, or brands.
Now, something to be aware of, is that everyone on Facebook MUST have a profile. Even if you just plan to use Facebook to promote your business, you cannot even create a Facebook page for your business without first having a Facebook profile.
So, to answer one of the most asked questions ‘How do I log into my Facebook page?’ the simple answer is, you can’t.
To ‘log in’ to your Facebook page, you actually need to log into a Facebook profile that has admin access to your company/organisation’s Facebook page and then switch to your page from there.
Right, so how do I switch between my Facebook profile and my Facebook page then?
There are two simple methods of switching between your Facebook profile and your business page.
Method 1:
1. First, log into your personal Facebook account that has admin access to the company page.
2. In the top right-hand corner, you will see a little circle with your profile picture in it. If you click on this, a little pop-up will appear with several options including ‘Settings & privacy’ and ‘Log out’.
3. Right at the top of this pop-up, you will see your profile picture, your name (or whatever name you’ve given your Facebook profile), and then to the right of this, the profile picture of your company page, with two arrows circling around it. Simply click on this icon to switch to your page.
If you manage more than one page, below this, you will have an option to ‘See all profiles’. Click on this to bring up a list of the pages you manage, then select the page you’d like to switch to.
Method two of switching from your Facebook profile to your Facebook page:
1. Again, log in to a Facebook profile with admin access to the page.
2. Navigate to the page you want to switch to. You will either find this down the left-hand-side of your home feed, or you can simply search for it using the search bar at the top.
3. Then, underneath your page header and navigation icons, you should see an option that says ‘Switch into [PAGE NAME]’s Page to start managing it’.
4. Click ‘Switch Now’, then you’re done!
Now you’ve successfully switched to your company page, everything you now do is as your company/page instead of as you.
Thanks to the New Facebook Page Experience, everything will look and act pretty much the same whether you’re acting as your page or as your profile. You will still have a News Feed, where you can see and interact with other pages you follow, and you’ll be able to like, comment on, and share these either as your Facebook profile or as your page..
That can sometimes get a little confusing, and you can forget whether you’re interacting as your page or your profile, and accidentally ‘like’ something as the wrong one. If you need a reminder, just take a look at the top right-hand corner of your screen, and it will display the profile picture of the page or profile you’re logged into.
Top Tip: Don’t use the same name or profile picture on both your company page and Facebook profile! Not only does this make your profile vulnerable from a security point of view (more on that here!), but it also makes it very confusing when switching between accounts! Imagine if we had a Facebook profile called Social Progress, which also had our logo as its profile picture – how would we ever know if we were interacting as the profile or the company page? Trust us, we’ve seen it done and it is conFUSING!
So, do I even need a Facebook page, or should I just post from my profile?
When people realise they have to have a Facebook profile to even have a Facebook page, we often hear the question ‘Well, do I even need a page then?’ – and the simple answer is, yes!
If you are using Facebook to market your business, and build awareness of your company/brand, then it’s definitely worth having a company page as well as a profile.
Not only does it make your brand look more credible and professional, but there are also quite a few features that are available for company pages that aren’t available for profiles.
Some clear distinctions between Facebook pages and Facebook profiles to be aware of:
Friends vs Followers
Facebook profiles have friends, Facebook pages have followers.
Facebook Friends are people who have mutually agreed to connect with you on Facebook. You will see your friends’ posts in your timeline, and they will see yours.
Facebook pages however, cannot have friends on Facebook. Instead, pages have followers. Your followers will be able to see the content your page posts/shares in their timeline, but you will not be able to see theirs.
You can however, choose to follow other Facebook pages you’d like to interact with as your company page, such as local businesses in your area, or companies you have a working relationship with.
Facebook pages are public
Though you can change the privacy settings on a Facebook profile, so only your Facebook friends can see the content you post, Facebook pages are public, and their posts can be seen by anyone. This is another reason why it’s beneficial for your company to be set up on Facebook as a page rather than a profile, because it’s easier to expand your reach this way.
It’s important to remember though, that everything you post on your page can potentially be seen by anyone. It’s often a good idea to keep your personal views to your personal profile!
Company information
When you visit a Facebook page, you will see a slightly different layout, and different information to if you visit a Facebook profile. For instance, on a company page, you will see a bar of headings across the top with sections such as ‘About’, ‘Mentions’ and ‘Reviews’.
These sections are only available for Facebook pages, and allow your followers to easily navigate through and find the content they need. Some of these sections are fixed and appear on all Facebook pages, and others you can choose to switch on or off, depending on what you would like visible on your page.
On Facebook pages, you will also see a panel down the left-hand-side with information about your page. Again, you can edit this to include a short bio, and your company information such as your contact details and address.
This is a great feature for company pages, and it’s really important to keep this up to date! Often, customers are doing a quick search of your page to find your location or specific information, so it makes it super easy for them if it’s all in that Intro panel!
Professional Features
Another reason why it’s important to set your company up with a Facebook page rather than a profile, is that you can gain access to professional features that aren’t available to profiles.
These include advertising capabilities, insights and scheduling tools. And though you may think you don’t need any of those now, it’s a good idea to have them in place for the future as it will save you a lot of time and frustration further down the line!
Having a Facebook Page, also gives you access to Meta Business Suite – Facebook’s hub for managing your Facebook and Instagram accounts in one place. Through Meta Business Suite, you can monitor Facebook and Instagram messages and comments, track insights across both Facebook and Instagram, and schedule social media content.
Congrats on getting to the end! We hope we haven’t Facebook-ed you out, and that you gained lots of clarity on the differences between pages and profiles, and the benefits of having a Facebook page for your business!
As ever, if you need help with any of the above, or have any questions, be sure to get in touch with the team at info@socialprogess.co.uk