What's the Difference between a Facebook Page and a Facebook Profile

Facebook has been around for years, and along the way, it has seen countless changes... updates to Pages, Profiles, Groups, and even the News Feed.

Facebook has even a timer that lets you track how long you spend on Facebook every day AND set an alarm to remind you to take a break! All this is being done to make Facebook a much nicer place to hang out and connect with your friends and family online.

A long time ago, businesses and brands could post and promote their services right from their personal Profiles. But those days are long gone. Facebook now makes it crystal clear: Profiles are for personal use only, while Pages are for businesses, brands, and organizations.

If you’re still mixing up the two—or using your personal Profile for business—it’s time to get things sorted. Let’s dive into the key differences between a Facebook Profile and a Facebook Page, why it matters for your business, and how to make the most of each.

The Difference between a Facebook Page and a Facebook Profile

Facebook Profiles are for individuals, Facebook Pages are for businesses. (And yes, they're VERY serious.)

Facebook Profiles and Pages may look similar on the surface, but they serve very different purposes.

Okay, you may be asking yourself right now… so what the heck is the actual difference between a Profile and a Page?

So... let's back up a sec: there are three primary types of Facebook accounts, and Facebook defines them like this:

Profile - A non-commercial Facebook account for personal use

‍Example: Peggy Sue Smith

Page - An account for businesses, brands and public figures; it’s a lot like a profile, but for commercial use (and you have to have a Profile to create a Page)Example: Peggy Sue’s Pies

Groups - Facebook’s version of forums, where members with similar interests can connect and interact with varying levels of privacy (Public, Closed, and Secret)Example: I LOVE PIES

Most people on Facebook only have a Profile, and many have used their Profile to post about their business, maybe by sharing a blog post or announcing an event or giveaway.

If you have a consulting, real estate, or coaching business, a lot of what you post on Facebook is probably relationship marketing – that is, marketing who you are as a person as a reason to do business with you.

But let's make things even more clear:

What is a Facebook Profile?

Your Profile is your personal account. It's where you connect with friends and family. Facebook defines a Profile as a space for non-commercial use.

Here’s what a Facebook Profile allows you to do:

• Share personal updates, photos, and videos with your friends.
• Send friend requests to people you know (up to 5,000 friends).
• Set privacy settings to control who can see your content.

Profiles are great for personal use, but they’re not designed for running a business. In fact, using your Profile for commercial purposes can violate Facebook’s terms of service and put your account at risk.

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What is a Facebook Page?

A Facebook Page is designed for businesses, public figures, brands, and organizations to connect with their audience. Pages come with tools and features that Profiles simply don’t have.

Here’s what makes Pages different:

• Unlimited Followers: People can like or follow your Page without any friend limits.
• Business Tools: Access analytics (like Page Insights), post scheduling, and advertising tools to grow your reach.
• Content is Public: Everything you share on a Page is visible to anyone, helping you grow your audience.
• Professional Appearance: Pages give your business a credible, professional presence on Facebook.

Think of Pages as a digital storefront: they’re where you can engage with your customers, share updates, promote your services, and even run ads.

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Profile vs. Pages: Why It Matters

A lot of the spam content Facebook has been battling has been from fake Facebook Profiles. Earlier in 2018, Facebook removed over half a billion of fake Profiles.

For a platform that boasts over three billion monthly active users – or roughly two-thirds of all humans who have an internet connection – the number of purged profiles gives you an idea of just how important it is to Facebook to make sure everything on their HUGE platform is on the up-and-up.

Now, because spam and fake accounts are generally run by not-nice people, the good-faith agreement that apps had with Facebook got tarnished.

So by removing the ability to automatically post to Profiles (remember, the biggest sources of spam content), it is now that much more difficult to annoyingly spam people’s News Feeds.

And that’s pretty darn awesome! After all, who wants to spend time at a place that’s lousy with spam content?

Thanks to all those fake Profiles, though, it is now it is against Facebook’s terms and conditions to use your Profile to post about your business. Ever.

This is pretty serious stuff: if you’re posting business-related stuff on your Profile, your account could be suspended, for good!

This change is no small thing for a lot of Edgar users – and Facebook users in general.

The great news is creating a Page for your business is easy to do AND it allows you to better track the results of the promotions you run!(Plus you get an easier way for customers and potential customers to reach out!)

Really, all you gotta do now, if you use Edgar for your Facebook posting, is make sure you have a Page  for your business – in addition to your Profile.(You’ll be able to post from Edgar to Instagram, too. We have an exciting announcement coming up very, very soon!)

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Professional mode: a new option

Facebook recently introduced Professional Mode: a new option that lets you grow a public presence while still using your personal profile.

With Professional Mode, you get access to new tools, monetization options, and safety features to help you connect with a larger audience.

It’s a perfect choice for creators! And the best part? You can turn it on or off anytime.

Starting up a Facebook Page

If you’ve been using your personal Profile for business, don’t panic, you can switch to a Page!

You can either create a new page or turn your profile into a professional profile.

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the idea of starting a new Facebook Page… don’t be! We’ve got some great, super-helpful resources to help you make the transition from Profile to Page:

• ‍How to Change from Your Personal Profile to Your Page Profile on Facebook
• ‍10 Reads to Get Up to Speed on Facebook Strategy: Live Broadcasts, Groups, Headlines, and More
• ‍Three Quick Tweaks for Getting Way More Value Out of Facebook Promoted Posts

Do you already have a Facebook Page or are you creating one for the first time now? What are some of the biggest changes you’ve noticed in your online marketing? Have any helpful tips about making the switch?