Thread: Which Facebook Option?

I am currently on MySpace, Twitter, and god knows what else as "Andalee" and not my real persona. The only exception is Facebook. I have a lot of friends and family on there who don't necessarily care about Andalee, not to mention my coworkers. I have set up a Fan Page for my day job and it has some benefits and drawbacks.

Anyway, I'd like to have Andalee represented on Facebook, but I can't decide if I want to have a new profile, a group or a fan page.

Thoughts? Ideas? Experiences?

I do the administration for my work place's Facebook fan pages, and I would say that based on my research a page is definitely the way to go. I recently attended a workshop on social networking and the woman running it, who does this for a living said that groups are "very pre-2009" on Facebook. And I think she's right, based on what I've seen.

I would go with a page because
a) it's public and easier to access than an account profile.
b) You can communicate via the page without having to use your personal (i.e. non-bellydance) profile if you choose. As administrator, your personal account shouldn't show up at all unless you decide to "fan" it yourself.
c) You can use page Insights to track the activity on the page, i.e., your fan demographics, how many people look at various items, etc., so for free you do get some feedback on how many people are looking at and using your page. You wouldn't get that with a regular profile.

You could do both... I've heard better things about fan pages...so if you only want to do one, then a fan page is probably the way to go.

I would definitely get a fan page because it allows people to easily join your page without you approving each person individually and you can keep your friends list down substantially as well. Ansuya and Sadie Marquardt have already done this type of setup on facebook already. Oh yea and then I can become a fan of your dancing as well :)

Jason

We are on the Fan Page at the moment [in footer below, if you are interested]

I second everyone else. It has worked well, even for tiny dinky little us.

I made a fan page...

Andalee Belly Dance | Facebook

Great! Your photos are gorgeous, by the way!

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

I made a fan page...

Andalee Belly Dance | Facebook

Awesome. I became a fan. ..g.:

Here's my page for the Intensive for good measure:
Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive Facebook page

argh, I've been wondering about FB too. I'm currently on there as just my regular name, but dancers are quickly becoming the majority of my friends (who knew lol). I have a separate page that, today, people found and I'm getting requests. But it sucks to have to log in & out of 2 accounts. I'm not sure if that'll change with a fan page. Personally I feel weird asking people to become my fans but that's b/c I have a "little ol' me" complex!

Oh excellent, I was wondering about all this too. And now I have a perfect way of procrastinating and not doing my boring work...I can create my own fan page!

Hmm, how does linking to my page work? Let's see...Jewel Bellydance | Facebook

The page I created for the Intensive is connected to my account. So I don't have to log in separately.

Originally Posted by Safiyah

argh, I've been wondering about FB too. I'm currently on there as just my regular name, but dancers are quickly becoming the majority of my friends (who knew lol). I have a separate page that, today, people found and I'm getting requests. But it sucks to have to log in & out of 2 accounts. I'm not sure if that'll change with a fan page. Personally I feel weird asking people to become my fans but that's b/c I have a "little ol' me" complex!

Technically, you're not allowed to have more than one Facebook account. I looked into doing that so that I could have one for my work duties and one private one. But then I read this at Welcome to Facebook | Facebook

<<Maintaining multiple accounts, regardless of the purpose, is a violation of Facebook’s Terms of Use. If you already have a personal account, then we cannot allow you to create business accounts for any reason. You can manage all the Pages and Socials Ads that you create on your personal account.

Please keep in mind that the fans of any of the Pages you administer will not have visibility or access to your personal account or profile. Any actions that you take as a Page administrator on your Page will show the Page’s name as the actor and not your personal name.>>

The odds of Facebook finding out about it and connecting the two are slim, but I decided to play by the rules. It turned out that two accounts would have been unnecessary anyway. If you have a fan page, then you can administer it with your personal account without your personal account showing up anywhere visible to fans.

Right; I do have two legitimate email addresses for two specific purposes. I think that would be a technicality IF they even caught it. For my purposes, the fan page works better though. I'll give it a try and see how it goes!

Originally Posted by Safiyah

argh, I've been wondering about FB too. I'm currently on there as just my regular name, but dancers are quickly becoming the majority of my friends (who knew lol). I have a separate page that, today, people found and I'm getting requests. But it sucks to have to log in & out of 2 accounts. I'm not sure if that'll change with a fan page. Personally I feel weird asking people to become my fans but that's b/c I have a "little ol' me" complex!

Same. With one or two exceptions, everyone on my RL FB is someone I know fairly well IRL and while I did do an account as Zumarrad, I can't be bothered using it because of all the logging in and out that needs to be done. I wanted to make the Zumarrad account a dance one, so it could be friended by/could friend dancers who aren't in my immediate daily circle.

A page would be much easier, especially if it can be kept quite separate from the RL account unless you know me already. But do I want to ask people to be my "fan"? Huh...

Fan Page for me too.... it keeps things separate from my private "mom" world.

RAQ&#039;n Monkeys | Facebook

Is it possible to grab other people's events and pull them onto your own fanpage? I can set up my own events, but can't seem to advertise others'. Which is a right buggar, because I want to advertise those shows I'll be dancing at. The only way I can see to do it is to set up the event myself and then link to their original event page in the 'links' option.

PS - Andalee - how funny, you were my first fan and I nearly de-fanned you because I didn't have a clue who you were! Until I saw your comment (and name) under my photo. How odd that you have a 'real' name. The mystique is all gone!

Originally Posted by zumarrad

But do I want to ask people to be my "fan"? Huh...

I know, I feel a tad weird about that, too (maybe especially because it is all via one account, not a dance vs. personal life account). So I started a group for my classes and local dance work, it just feels more my style.

I do have a fan page for my troupe though. I have apparently achieved some sort of cognitive dissonance about my collective dance activities, I guess!!

Jewelbellydance.... that's so funny. I have the opposite problem. I created my facebook with my dance name but then all my family members wanted to be my "friend". So it's usually my family members that are confused that I have a dance name instead of using my "real" name. BWhahahaha.

Andalee, I'm glad you asked this question! I have a group for my dance company but needed a way to promote my more 'solo' stuff. A fan page worked perfectly! I do still run into things like jewelbellydance mentioned where I'd like to share an event... For example, the group page for Satori Dance has an event page for our student show. I don't want to create two event pages for the same event, I just want to say that Rio of Satori Dance will be performing there... hmmm... Oh, and my fan page if anyone wants to give me suggestions or critique Facebook Fan Page for Rio of Satori Dance

I manage the page for my company and for myself as a dancer. If you want to link to another event, or just let your fans know you're performing there, you have a few options.

1) write the link and info on your wall. It will auto-update in the news feed of your fans
2) write a note about it (especially useful for recurring gigs--I've done this on my page)
3) Add the application "Profile HTML," or "Extended info:" I don't have these on my dance page, but I use them for my company's page to post all sorts of additional images and information. You really don't need to know HTML to use them, and if you do want to do things like add a pic, you can easily find basic html code with a quick Google Search

As far as sharing an event (ie, getting privileges to invite your own guests, add pics, etc): the creator of the event will have to add you as an administrator to give you editing/access privileges

Najla facebook fan page

Hi Najla,

Thanks! Now, I just have to figure out what you said. What's a newsfeed?

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

I made a fan page...

Andalee Belly Dance | Facebook

Beautiful Andalee! I just became a fan. I was going to say the public fan page is the way to go! I have one too linked to my website and it seems to get a lot of random traffic : )

Janim | Facebook

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

Hi Najla,

Thanks! Now, I just have to figure out what you said. What's a newsfeed?

yaaaaaaaaaay, techno jargon! ;)

News feed is that list on your homepage that is updated with your friends' activities, ie "Jane Doe is friends with John Smith" or "Emily is now a fan of XYZ".

In the past, only friends' updates would post to the news feed. FB changed it so the activity on pages now shows up on news feed, giving page owners a better chance to reach their audience

I just add my bellydance name on Facebook... Some of my fiance's famly members did not like, but I interact on FB more with bellydance business than anything else so.. I just feel sorry for them for do not accept me as a bellydancer person!!!

I use my iphone and there is an app for facebook but i cant see any fan sites or add them using my phone. Sooo that being said if you made a fan site you wont get any iphone users added. JJust a thought

I am sorry, veering a little OT

But- ladies with Facebook Fan pages. Please, very gently, tell me HOW ON EARTH you create an event?

I did this last week in 5 min flat. I have just spent 20 mins staring at the page completley unable to remember or locate the 'create new even' button. Grack, brainfreeze of epic proportions.

My page uses my real name with my dance name added after my last name. Since my "friends" include dog friends, dance friends, and family I wanted to make sure I covered all the bases. My profile pic is with a dog. Some of my dog friends know that I dance and have seen me in costume. I think most of my family knows I dance, but only one sister and one niece have actually seen me perform. Dancer friends might not know me in street clothes unless I made it more obvious who I am.

Since I am not professional and looking for potential clients, I am not worried about showing all sides of myself. I am, however, waiting to see if my ultra conservative brother reacts to the dance stuff. He is definitely of the women should be seen but not heard unless they have permission from their husbands persausion. He once asked my husband how he could "let" me just go traveling around to dog shows and dance events. My husband laughed. We both got a huge laugh out of that one. LET HER? Just try to stop me!

So I think I have to be a little circumspect about what I put on Facebook.

Souzan

Originally Posted by Amira_Siddiqah

I am sorry, veering a little OT

But- ladies with Facebook Fan pages. Please, very gently, tell me HOW ON EARTH you create an event?

I did this last week in 5 min flat. I have just spent 20 mins staring at the page completley unable to remember or locate the 'create new even' button. Grack, brainfreeze of epic proportions.

From one techno-nuff-nuff to another (although it's not my fault that Facebook fanpages are not userfriendly)...

You need an 'events' tab at the top. Do you have one? Next to wall, info, photos, etc. If not, click on the '+' tab and I think the events option should appear, and you can click on it to make the tab appear. Once you've got that tab, a 'create event' button will magically appear on the events page.

I was in the same situation. I had a faebook account that was the "real me" I make it a personal policy not to be friends with anyone I am not willing to give my home address to. I was getting a bit jealous that all my friends who weren't so discriminating were making friends with dancers from all over the world. I also appreciated that these dancers didn't want to read updates about my cat. I make a fan page and worry that people are hesitant to "become a fan" because they don't know my work. Does this keep any of you from connecting with someone because you have to become a fan?

Find me on Facebook here.

Originally Posted by Ahmber

I use my iphone and there is an app for facebook but i cant see any fan sites or add them using my phone. Sooo that being said if you made a fan site you wont get any iphone users added. JJust a thought

The iPhone app and I pretty sure the other apps such as Blackberry show you when friends become fans of something but don't allow you to become a fan or manage your page. Likewise the apps don't allow you see events, rsvp, etc. If you want to use FaceBook to its fullest you have to log on computer side at least once a week. .w.: