How a Facebook Fan Page Helps Your Church
Facebook is a game changer for every person on the internet and as Churches figure this out, they are often having difficulties to recognize what kind of page they should setup. Should it be a personal page or group page or fan page?
So, right from the start let us establish that the first page a church should setup is a custom facebook page. But to understand why we recommend this, let look at a few pointers to help you recognize the difference between the three types of Facebook accounts.
Comparing Facebook Profile, Group and Page
Facebook Personal Page
1. The profile is your personal account. This is regarded as to be the base point of all accounts, and it pertains only to you as an individual, which means it is confined to only ONE person.
2. A Facebook profile is utilized to communicate with family and closest friends.
3. Users can upload photos, videos and notes as well as publish status updates and publish events at anytime.
Restriction: a Facebook Profile can only have 5000 friends at a maximum.
Facebook Group
1. A Facebook Group symbolizes a Club. Being a Club or Group, this is a great place for members to communicate and exchange messages.
2. Just like any other group, its members are connected by hobbies, routines or pastimes.
3. A Facebook Group can either be : Open - (any individual can be a part of and its information can be looked at by anyone), Closed - (membership demands authorization from the admin and contents are private to members only) Secret - (by invites only and only those invited to become members get to find out the presence of this group and its written content).
4. Photos, Videos and links can only be posted by the Group Administrator which will then appear the groups members' wall.
5. The group can share documents and members have the right to edit them.
6. Also, a group can discuss matters through Facebook group Chat or email. Sending e-mail to members of the group is very easy using a individual email address (*@groups.facebook.com)
LIMITATION: a Facebook group is not meant to be an avenue for new guests to realize out about your ministry but instead it poses a forum for discussions and getting advices and/or ideas together. It also has limited customization options in comparison to a Facebook Page.
Facebook Fan Page
1. A Facebook Page is a community meeting place more like the entrance of a church or the coffee bar in the front side. It is a venue where staff, members and visitors can just get together and talk.
2. Its a method of easily spreading the news about you and what is happenin at your church socially. When a visitor "Like"s your Page, the visitor automatically becomes a fan and will receive updates from your
Church Page on his/her wall. Knowing how to create a like page on facebook can have as many fans as possible without any limit.
3. Pages are then "advertised" by its members since liking a Facebook Page sends out a notice to each user's contacts (via wall updates) thereby getting a chance to draw in more people within the network to visit and sooner or later like the Page also.
4. The biggest advantages to Pages is how public and open a page is, It is available to anyone on Facebook, Google can use it in lookups and it is an excellent starting point for new people looking for your church.
So to sum this up, Facebook Fan Pages should be the gateway to your Facebook presence and Groups should be where people can begin to connect on a more serious level with other people you have placed in that group.
Private pages should be kept private (at all cost) so that you can take pleasure in your loved ones and close friends just like everyone else on Facebook.
So, right from the start let us establish that the first page a church should setup is a custom facebook page. But to understand why we recommend this, let look at a few pointers to help you recognize the difference between the three types of Facebook accounts.
Comparing Facebook Profile, Group and Page
Facebook Personal Page
1. The profile is your personal account. This is regarded as to be the base point of all accounts, and it pertains only to you as an individual, which means it is confined to only ONE person.
2. A Facebook profile is utilized to communicate with family and closest friends.
3. Users can upload photos, videos and notes as well as publish status updates and publish events at anytime.
Restriction: a Facebook Profile can only have 5000 friends at a maximum.
Facebook Group
1. A Facebook Group symbolizes a Club. Being a Club or Group, this is a great place for members to communicate and exchange messages.
2. Just like any other group, its members are connected by hobbies, routines or pastimes.
3. A Facebook Group can either be : Open - (any individual can be a part of and its information can be looked at by anyone), Closed - (membership demands authorization from the admin and contents are private to members only) Secret - (by invites only and only those invited to become members get to find out the presence of this group and its written content).
4. Photos, Videos and links can only be posted by the Group Administrator which will then appear the groups members' wall.
5. The group can share documents and members have the right to edit them.
6. Also, a group can discuss matters through Facebook group Chat or email. Sending e-mail to members of the group is very easy using a individual email address (*@groups.facebook.com)
LIMITATION: a Facebook group is not meant to be an avenue for new guests to realize out about your ministry but instead it poses a forum for discussions and getting advices and/or ideas together. It also has limited customization options in comparison to a Facebook Page.
Facebook Fan Page
1. A Facebook Page is a community meeting place more like the entrance of a church or the coffee bar in the front side. It is a venue where staff, members and visitors can just get together and talk.
2. Its a method of easily spreading the news about you and what is happenin at your church socially. When a visitor "Like"s your Page, the visitor automatically becomes a fan and will receive updates from your
Church Page on his/her wall. Knowing how to create a like page on facebook can have as many fans as possible without any limit.
3. Pages are then "advertised" by its members since liking a Facebook Page sends out a notice to each user's contacts (via wall updates) thereby getting a chance to draw in more people within the network to visit and sooner or later like the Page also.
4. The biggest advantages to Pages is how public and open a page is, It is available to anyone on Facebook, Google can use it in lookups and it is an excellent starting point for new people looking for your church.
So to sum this up, Facebook Fan Pages should be the gateway to your Facebook presence and Groups should be where people can begin to connect on a more serious level with other people you have placed in that group.
Private pages should be kept private (at all cost) so that you can take pleasure in your loved ones and close friends just like everyone else on Facebook.
About the Author:
For further information on how to make a like page on facebook, feel free to visit Chad Gleaves' site.