Do you have a Facebook Profile in a business, organisation or event name that really should be a Facebook Page?
What is the difference between a Profile and a Page?
Whether you only want to use Facebook for business, you require a profile to manage your Page (or Group). Your profile doesn’t have to be visible or active but does need to exist.
Sometimes new users set up a Profile in the name of the business or organisation to separate themselves, but this is not the way to use Facebook, and limits the experience.
Here are some differences and advantages of having a Page;
- Profiles are about person to person relationships, whereas a Page is about a brand, which can also be an individual.
- Profiles are designed for people with friends. Pages are designed for your network to Like and Follow.
- Profiles have a limit of 500 friends, and each friend must be approved. Pages are unlimited and don’t require the approval of the audience.
- Profiles cannot run ads on the content. Pages can.
- Pages can offer functionality via 3rdparty apps
- Profile content can be controlled, from the preset lists such as close friends, acquaintances and public, to unique lists you create form your friends. Page posts are public, although people can be banned from your Page.
- Profiles do not have insights, Pages do.
- Profiles are managed by the individual. Pages can have many admins with differing roles assigned.
- Posts cannot be scheduled to a Profile. Posts can be scheduled to Pages via Facebook or 3rdparty apps.
- Profiles are admins of Pages, and multiple admins with different roles can be added to a Page. Ensure you have a way to manage the admins, onboard and offboard as people leave your organisation.
How to move your audience from a Profile to a Page
OPTION 1
With only a few friends on this profile, the easiest way is to invite the friends to like the Page then delete the profile. If the Profile has data you want to capture, then download it.
Of course, you do need to set up a Page first and ensure you have assigned other admins to the Page before deleting the profile.
OPTION 2
If the Profile has a lot of friends then consider converting the profile to a page. This could become the primary Page for your organisation, or if you have a Page already you can then request to merge the pages.
If you plan to merge pages and have data on this account you wish to keep, then download it to ensure you don’t lose it in the process.
Profile Preparation
Before converting or deleting a profile, you may want to download a copy of your info, using the Download Your Information tool.
- Go to the top right of Facebook and click the arrow.
- Click Settings.
- Click Your Facebook Information.
- Go to Download Your Information and click View.
- To add or remove categories of data from your request, click the boxes on the right side of Facebook.
- Select other options, including:
- The format of your download request.
- The quality of photos, videos and other media.
- A specific date range of information. If you don’t select a date range, you’ll request all the information for the categories you’ve selected.
- Click Create File to confirm the download request.
The request will appear as Pending in the Available Files section of the Download Your Information Tool. A notification will be sent once ready after a few days.
To download a copy of data you requested:
- Go to the Available Files section of the Download Your Information tool.
- Click Download and enter your password.
How to permanently delete your Facebook profile?
Ensure you have downloaded everything you want to keep. Once your account has been deleted, you won’t be able to retrieve anything you’ve added. You have a 30 day window to cancel the deletion but it may take up to 90 days to delete your account.
To permanently delete your account:
- Click at the top right of any Facebook page.
- Click Settings.
- Click Your Facebook Information in the left column.
- Click Delete Your Account and Information, then click Delete My Account.
- Enter your password, clic Continue and then click Delete Account.
How to change your Facebook Profile to a Page
Step 1 – Convert Profile to Page
To convert a profile into a page, follow the process via this link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/migrate
Step 2 – Merge Pages
Here are the Facebook requirements for merging 2 Facebook Pages:
- You’re an admin of both Pages.
- Your Pages have similar names and represent the same thing.
- Your Pages have the same address, if they have physical locations.
To merge your Pages:
- Go to facebook.com/pages/merge.
- Select 2 Pages you want to merge and click Continue.
- Click Request Merge.
Note: If your Pages are on Business Manager, you can go to business.facebook.com/pages/merge to merge them.
WARNINGS
- Not all data is merged. The people who like your Pages and any check-ins will be combined, but posts, photos, reviews, ratings, and the Page username will be deleted.
- This process cannot be reversed.
Backup your Facebook Page Data
If you do want to keep your photos, posts and reviews, be sure to capture it first.
- Take screenshots of reviews, ratings and posts
- Save photos and video individually
- Or download a copy of your Facebook Page.
The download file includes:
- Posts, photos and videos shared on the Page by people who work on the Page.
- A list of people who have roles on the Page.
- A description of the Page’s current settings.
- Page info from the About section.
To download a copy of your Page:
- Click Settings at the top of your Page.
- From General, click Download Page.
- Click Download Page.
- Click Create File.
On receiving the email or notification, click Download Page and enter your password to continue, within 4 days.
What Next?
Once you have a single Page for your business or organisation, ensure it is well branded, optimised to be found, protected with multiple admins, has management guidelines and a content strategy.
It takes time to build your audience and engage your network, so be sure to create and share engaging content and use creative methods to drive traffic to the Page.
Should you need help with your social media or content marketing strategy get in touch. Jo Saunders has Mentoring programs to help clients build and manage their online presence