For business or nonprofit organizational use, we recommend creating a Facebook Page versus a Group. With Pages, there is less moderation time involved since only the Administrators can post items; Fans can only comment on posted items.
Your updates appear on an unlimited number of Fan walls. This works for our Fans who do not want to receive an email alert after each ABS Wall Update.
We also have the option to invite personal FB and other contacts via email to scheduled events.
But it’s not always easy to migrate from one platform to the other with content and followers intact so it’s a good idea to evaluate both before creating a Page or Group. Here are a couple articles weighing in on the pros & cons of each tool:
Facebook Pages vs Facebook Groups: What’s the Difference? by Howard Greenstein
Facebook groups vs. Facebook pages by Tim Davies
You can create a basic FB Page in about 5 minutes by starting here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
If you forget the link above, go to any Page (ABS Fan page for example 
) and on the bottom left side of the screen, click Create a Page for My Business.
- Select a Category for your organization.
- Select a sub-category from the drop down menu.
- Name the page – I usually use the full name/acronym so people can find us either way, i.e., Association Business Solutions (ABS).
- Create the page and fill in details, including logo in place of the ? mark & description.
Tips for Managing Content:
- more than one person can be designated as an Admin to help with updates;
- people love photos & videos;
- when you add a link to a newspaper article or to your website, a logo or graphic item usually automatically appears, making the wall posting more visually interesting;
- when you post something on your blog, add a link to that page on Facebook so you’re driving people to your website;
- schedule quality marketing time for this so the postings / interaction stays fresh and it also doesn’t become a big distraction!
Once you have a few things on your wall, here are three easy (& free) ways to promote the page:
- Click “Suggest to Friends” on the left side of the page. All your personal FB contacts will appear and you can easily select who may have an interest in your business postings to receive an invitation to become Fans.
- Have staff add to their email signatures and/or business cards.
- Post a Facebook icon and invitation to become a Fan on your website.
Here are a few excellent articles about using Facebook pages:
8 Essential Apps for Your Brand’s Facebook Page by Alison Driscoll
Social Media Marketing – Using Twitter & Facebook to Grow Your Business and Maintain Relationships by David Bayer
5 Elements of a Successful Facebook Fan Page by Samir Balwani
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Karla Tillman Pollack is co-Founder and Principal of Association Business Solutions, Inc. (ABS), an association management company headquartered in Trenton, NJ. ABS provides association management, writing, marketing, nonprofit financials, social media communications, government affairs and PAC management services on a full-service or project basis.
Association Business Solutions, Inc. | 247 East Front Street | Trenton, NJ
T/609-392-3800 | www.absnj.com
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