What’s the differences between a Facebook Group and a Fan Page?

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I was looking for the answer to this question for both myself and the many people who ask me about the differences. I know a few of the differences, but it is nice to have it all laid out in a concise fashion. Thanks to Chuck Reynolds and Jacob Burke of the PodCampAZ organizing group for pointing me in the right direction for this info.

How are Pages different than Facebook Groups?

Pages can only be created to represent a real public figure, artist, brand or organization, and may only be created by an official representative of that entity. Groups can be created by any user and about any topic, as a space for users to share their opinions and interest in that subject. Pages can be customized with rich media and interactive applications to engage Page visitors. Applications can’t be added to groups.

Pages are designed to allow Page admins to maintain a personal/professional distinction on Facebook, while groups are a part of your personal Facebook experience. If you’re a group admin, your name will appear on that group, while Pages will never display their admins’ names. Additionally, when you take actions on your group, such as posting on your group’s wall, these actions will appear to come from you as an individual. However, if you post or take other actions on a Page you own, it will appear to come from the Page.

As long as a group is under 5000 members, group admins can send messages to the group members that will appear in their inboxes. If the group exceeds 5000, admins can’t send messages to all members. Page admins can send updates to fans through the Page, and these updates will appear in the “Updates” section of fans’ inboxes. There is no limit on how many fans you may send an update to, or how many total fans a Page can have. It’s also possible to restrict access to a group, so that new members have to be approved, but access to a Page can only be restricted by certain ages and locations.

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Filed under: Elsewhere, News, Social, Facebook, Online Communities, Social network

Case Study: Blogs Influence Consumer Purchases More than Social Networks

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This is the first in a series where I will highlight New Media case studies which seek to bring a deeper understanding of how blogs, povdcasting, ideo sharing and more are changing business today.

Thanks to Social Media Expert, Chris Brogan, for sharing his excellent collection of Delicious bookmarks to get this series started.

Blogs Influence Consumer Purchases More than Social Networks

The number of those who read blogs at least once a month has grown 300% in the past four years, and what they read strongly influences their purchase decisions, playing a key role in ushering them to the point of actual purchase, according to a BuzzLogic-sponsored study, reports Retailer Daily.

Continue Reading this Case Study

Filed under: Case Study, New Media, News, Blog, Business, New Media, Social Media, Social network, web, Weblogs