Last week, I did a quick tutorial on how you can convert your Facebook profile to a business fan page. Subsequently, I was flooded with queries on various aspects of the conversion process, the pros and cons of opting in/out and the considerations before you decide to do it. Therefore, I decided to do another post to clear the air about the Facebook profile to fan page migration.
Now, Later or Never?
The most important consideration is that you should be 100% sure that you either want to do it or not. There’s no looking back, no Undo feature so it’s better to be sure rather than sorry. If you decide not to go the conversion route for now, you can always reconsider your decision at a later stage and use the migration tool to take the plunge.
Pros
Businesses which already maintain Facebook Fan Pages would be well aware of the benefits involved. Facebook profiles have been present ever since the world’s leading social network was launched but Pages are a recent phenomenon. Therefore, some education on the benefits on Facebook fan pages is definitely needed.
- Comply with rules – Facebook says profiles are for individuals and aren’t best suited to business needs. In contrast, business accounts are designed for people who want to use Facebook to administer Pages and run ad campaigns.
- Privacy – Business accounts cannot be found in a search, and the owner of the account will not be able to send or receive friend requests. Therefore, business owners can be rest assured about their privacy needs being taken care of.
- Fans – If you chose to migrate, all your friends are converted to fans. This is a huge bonus as you don’t need to start from ground zero and build a fan base for your business.
- Brand – A Facebook business page serves as a better brand ambassador for your business.
Cons
I reckon the biggest disadvantage of moving from a Facebook profile to a business fan page is that you lose the personal touch.
- No Friends – Once you migrate, you can’t add or accept friends. If a Facebook user wants to get associated with your page, they have to become a fan.
- Profile Data – If you migrate, you lose all profile data. Though you can backup the same, it’s still a risk.
- No Chat – Since you’ve no friends, you can’t chat with them. I believe this hampers businesses who love to initiate conversations with their customers.
- Vanity URL – Once you migrate, the Vanity URL associated with the profile will be gone forever.
Clearly, it’s a tricky situation for most businesses. I strongly believe businesses must take this decision solely based on their requirements.
What have you decided? Will you migrate your Facebook profile to a business fan page? Or would you rather stick with your current Facebook profile? Please share your opinion by leaving a comment below this post.
Guest Author: Douglas Idugboe, is a New Media Marketing authority, Bestselling Author, Founder and Publisher of Smedio! – The New Media and Social Web Online Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter.
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