I was interviewed by Tracy Cox recently on her Cutting Through the Overwhelm of business start up – Interview Series  (available soon), and one of the questions she asked was a REALLY good one.
She asked about the difference between a Facebook page and a Facebook group, and which one was better for people running their own businesses, particularly online. This is something I get asked a lot, so let’s delve into it…

The simple answer is you NEED a FB biz page, but you don’t need a FB group. Here’s some myths I really want to bust on the subject. 

“I get better reach on my personal FB profile, shouldn’t I just run my biz through there?”
No. It’s against the terms and conditions of FB. Don’t do it.
“I get better reach on my personal FB profile, so I just created another one and gave it my business name.”
This is also against the terms and conditions of FB. You risk your entire FB account being shut down.
“Everyone I know has a FB group, I’m missing out because I don’t have one.”
Rubbish. Some people just don’t need a group for their biz model. Some people get what they need from groups run by others.
“I need more clients. I’ll just create a FB group, that’ll fix it.”
That won’t fix a damn thing. If you’re struggling to get clients, creating a FB group will NOT fix this. You’ve got other things to focus on if that’s the case. Make the most out of OTHER groups. Plus, managing a FB group WELL is time consuming. Plus, groups are about community, not you. That’s what your PAGE is for. Your group will fall apart rapidly if you create it to serve yourself alone.
“I don’t need a FB page, I’ll just use FB groups.”
Not a good decision. A FB group is a community, and when you are a member of a group, you are contributing to one BIG conversation, and lots of smaller ones. On your FB page, you are LEADING the conversation. It is YOUR place on the internet to steal the hearts of your clients and potential clients. Give them a chance to follow YOU.
I hope this has been helpful!