Facebook Groups VS Facebook Pages: Which is Better?

This is a question that’s often asked when marketers are deciding whether they should go the Facebook group route… or just stick to creating a Facebook page. The good news is that these options are not mutually exclusive.

You can do both… and you should!

Of course, there are pros and cons to each. Where pages are weaker, groups are stronger and vice versa.

* What’s your goal?

If your goal is to build a thriving group of like minded people who will enjoy consuming your content and buying your products, you’ll need a Facebook group for that.

 As a product vendor, you’ll be able to engage with your potential and current customers in your Facebook groups. You can get suggestions, recommendations, etc. directly from them.

Facebook groups are interest-driven… and the people in it are passionate about the niche the group is about. You can learn a lot about your target audience from them.

However, if you want to use Facebook advertising, you must have a Facebook page to serve as the face of the business. So, if you’re using paid ads on the platform, you’ll need a page.

* Pages are more business-oriented

One of the limitations of Facebook groups is that you’ll be personally involved with it and you’ll be the face of the business, because all the members will be able to see your personal profile and know that you’re the admin.

Some marketers may prefer anonymity and contemplate using a fake profile which is similar to using a pen name. 

Unfortunately, Facebook frowns upon this practice and will shut down your account if it discovers that it doesn’t belong to a real person.

If you’re hesitant about letting people know you’re the owner of the business, you may stick to Facebook pages. Alternatively, you may link your page to your group and answer member’s questions in the group by using your page. In this way, it appears as if the business page is answering them rather than you personally.

* The pros and cons

Facebook pages have more features and provide more data because advertisers need such information and tools. Pages are there to encourage people to use the Facebook ad platform.

While people can like your Facebook page, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your page’s fans will see every post you make on your page. Many page owners report very limited reach with their posts, and they often suspect that Facebook is throttling the reach so that page owners will pay to ‘boost’ their posts.

It's like paying to play. You need to pay to get more eyeballs on your page. You won’t have such a problem with your Facebook group. Most of the members will see your posts, especially if you mark them as announcements and pin them to the top.

When it comes to privacy, pages are visible to everyone, while groups can be kept private. So, if you wish to have an insider’s community, you’re better off with groups.

With a Facebook page, you can have a button that points to your site or store. You don’t have that option with a group, unless you add a link in your group description.

Generally, Facebook pages make it easier to promote your business because there’s more flexibility to monetize it. But groups offer you more control over the members, posts and comments that people make in your groups. You can always remove and ban problematic members.

The best way to know which is better for your business is to create both a page and a group and use them accordingly in your business. Once you get the hang of these two different types of Facebook ‘features’, you’ll know how to leverage them in the best possible way to achieve your business goals.

 

FAN PAGE ROBOT - Automated System To Grow Social Media Fanbase & Leads