Converting Your Facebook Profile to a Page

Today’s “Facebook Friday” tip is HUGE for those businesses who mistakenly (or maybe even knowingly) created a facebook profile instead of a facebook page.  This tip hit my twitterverse thanks to @ashleytcaldwell.  She’s on my “all-time-faves” twitter list, and I can’t say enough about how well that list has served me!

Did you create a facebook profile instead of a biz page? Do you know the difference? One way to know if you have a profile or a page is that people "friend" a profile (because it's supposed to be a person) and people "like" a business page. FB pages can't request friendships, which is why some businesses felt that operating as a profile (person) was more desirable than creating a business page. For many reasons, it's best (hands-down) to create a Facebook business page, not a profile, if you are a business.  In Facebook's own words: "Pages offer more robust features for organizations, businesses, brands, and public figures, which you can learn more about here."

I’ve seen some pretty creative names used for profiles, so I know there are more than just a few businesses who created profiles instead of pages for one reason or another.  I actually made this mistake in 2004, when I created a FB profile for Columbia, SC.  Even those of us who know and love Facebook have had to learn along the way! 

If you’re a business running a profile instead of a page on Facebook, now is a great time to convert your profile to a page!

Here’s a link to FAQs and info on this process from Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=18918

Here's the Mashable article that shares info about this feature:

http://mashable.com/2011/03/31/facebook-profile-to-page-migration/

Please note: “Be aware that when you convert your profile to a Page, your profile pictures will be transferred, and all of your friends will be automatically added as people who like your Page. No other content will be carried over to your new Page, so be sure to save any important content before beginning your migration.”

Also, “Migrating is irreversible at this time, so you may want to download your profile information — including photos, wall posts, messages and friend list — before making the switch.” 

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005.  If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or  RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.