What is a Social Media Page?
The convenient shorthand “page” has become common parlance to describe any social media URL.
This verbiage is acceptable for common public use, but I would urge you to rethink this terminology if you you’re a creative or entrepreneur.
At the least, there are three distinct types of destinations:
- Profiles. This refers to a personal profile. It’s what you signed up for when you first joined Facebook. You can use your profile to share about anything you want, including your business, but guaranteed it’s one of the first things people will see when googling your name. Make a good impression!
- Pages. This could be a company page (i.e., LinkedIn) or fan page. Technically, there is no such thing as a “fan page” on Facebook, only pages. But a page is distinct from a profile for the primary reason that you can accumulate “likes,” which reflects the size, popularity, and reach of your page. Pages also allow boosting and advertising.
- Groups. A group is like a community discussion forum. It’s a place where people can gather to ask questions, interact with each other, discuss their favorite burger, promote their upcoming performance, and so forth. If you’re a group owner, you’re the facilitator of the community.
Why does this matter?
Because each type of “page” was designed with different functionality. You literally cannot perform the same functions across the board. You may be able to accumulate “followers” for a profile, but you can only accumulate “likes” for a page. Others may be able to post on your “wall” or comment on your posts, but the only place where you can create a sense of belonging and community where others are free to contribute is a group.
If you want to teach social media or digital marketing in any capacity, make this distinction.
If you want to be effective in your own online marketing efforts, make this distinction.
And if you aren’t clear on how these destinations differ, study.
