MarketingVOX on Facebook

Search Engine Journal produced a comparison between two free Facebook branding tools: Facebook Groups, which enable users to cluster around a shared interest; and Facebook Fan Pages, which are like a personal profile page for companies.

Two major distinctions were made:

• Fan Pages are visible to unregistered users and are indexed by the search engines. Starting one may benefit marketers from a search engine optimization perspective, and also help manage its perceived brand value in the social networking space.
• Groups enable members to send "bulk invites" to other users, whether or not they are members. This makes Groups good for viral or events-oriented marketing.

Other key differences:

The author concluded Groups are better for hosting active discussions and attracting quick attention. As mentioned above, they are likely best for event-based, viral or local guerrilla efforts.

In contrast, Pages are better for maintaining long-term relationships, improving brand searchability on social media, and interacting with a fan base.

Facebook held 20.56 percent of the social networking market in August, according to Hitwise. A Hitwise analyst recently also determined that Millennials apparently prefer social networking to internet porn.