Facebook is a fantastic tool for an author because it allows you to promote your work in as easy or as complex a way that suits you. You might want to drop in a mention of a book release or you might want your fans to see loads of videos, images, thoughts, even offers, and Facebook has the perfect way to do it. The biggest question is, do you use your profile or do you set up a Facebook page? Do you even know what the difference is? Let’s see if we can clear it up so you make the best choice.

What is the Difference?

Profile – this is your personal Facebook account, the one you use for socializing on Facebook. On your profile, you can have ‘friends’, a two-way street where both of you communicate, or you can subscribe to people to see comments they make show up on your newsfeed.

Page – A page on Facebook that is dedicated to one subject, like a show, a celebrity, food or an author. People like that page and follow it to see your content on their newsfeed.

So, both pretty similar yet both very different. The profile is designed in such a way that many interactions and other actions can happen while the page is designed to allow fans to follow a specific subject.

Which One Should You Choose?

Both pages and profiles have their own pros and which one you choose comes down to whether you need a tool that can be adapted or a tool that is suited to one purpose:

Capability – both pages and profiles let you post content for your friends or followers to see. The profile definitely has more features but they are designed to use all that Facebook offers. The page, on the other hand, while having fewer features, certainly doesn’t lack in everything you need for promoting yourself.

Simplicity – the profile is designed for pretty much anything that Facebook offers, from game playing to private messages. However, your privacy settings will need to be tweaked to ensure that your followers see what you want them to see. You also need to decide – friends or subscribers? Facebook profiles need to be set up for subscribers; it isn’t an automatic feature. The page, on the other hand, is simplicity in itself. Post your content and followers/fans will see what it is. You can run a page with your profile, which does make things a little more complicated but it does let you set a balance between your work and personal life.

Attracting Your Fans – if you want your fans to be your Facebook friends as well then you will get higher numbers. This is a bit like a status symbol – the more friends you have, the higher up the chain you are and if people can boost their numbers by adding you, then they will. You can only do this with a profile though. It is likely that there is little difference in numbers between a profile and friends or subscribers and having a page with followers or fans.