When used effectively, Facebook is one of the most powerful marketing platforms available. With over 2 billion active users and growing, it offers brands and businesses a unique opportunity to connect with their target audience in ways that other platforms simply can't match.
There are two primary ways for brands and businesses to leverage Facebook: through a Facebook Page or a Facebook Group.
But what distinguishes the two?
And which is more effective for engagement, reach, and overall marketing objectives?
Both Facebook Pages and Groups have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. In this article, we'll take an in-depth look at both options so you can determine which is the best fit for your brand or business.
Facebook page or group - what are the differences?
A Facebook Page is a public profile that represents a business, organization, or individual. Anyone on Facebook can like and follow a Page, and Pages can be found through Facebook’s search bar.
There are two types of Facebook pages: personal and business pages.
- Personal Facebook pages. These are profiles for individuals that want to connect with friends and family on Facebook. Personal pages cannot be used for business purposes. For instance, you cannot boost posts or run ads from a personal page.
- Business Facebook pages. On the other hand, business pages can be used to promote content, products, or services. This type of Facebook page has built-in features for marketing and analytics. As an example, you can use a business page to run sponsored ads, track engagement, and post updates about your product or service.
A Facebook Group is a community that brings together people with similar interests. Groups can be either public or private, and members must be approved by an administrator in order for them to join.
Facebook groups vs. pages: 7 key differences
Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s take a more detailed look at the key differences between Facebook pages and groups.
1. Visibility
A significant difference between Facebook page and group is visibility. By default, anyone on Facebook can see a Page, regardless of whether they are logged in or not. This makes it easy for anyone to stumble across your Page, even if they’re not actively looking for it.
Conversely, Facebook groups are not visible to people who are not members. In order for someone to find a group, they must be logged into their Facebook account and actively searching for it.
On top of that, Facebook page admins or moderators can also post as a page, therefore maintaining anonymity. This is different to Facebook group. Facebook group members can see who the admins and moderators are and therefore have the opportunity to speak as the brand, enhancing the tone of voice.
2. Features
Facebook pages and groups have different features that are worth taking into account.
Pages have several features that are designed to help businesses promote their products or services, such as the following:
- Boosting posts: This allows you to pay to have your post seen by more people.
- Insights: Insights give you data about how your page is performing, who your audience is, and what kind of engagement your posts are getting.
- Ads: You can use Facebook Ads to promote your Page or website to people who are not already following you.
Groups, on the other hand, have features that facilitate community building and discussion, such as the following:
- Events: Facebook groups can be used to promote and manage events.
- Files: Groups allow you to upload and share files with members.
- Polls: Polls are a great way to get feedback from your group members.
3. Interaction
The way that people interact with pages and groups is also quite different.
When someone likes or follows a page, they are indicating that they are interested in the content that the page is sharing. However, they are not necessarily committed to interacting with the page on a regular basis.
People who join groups, on the other hand, are generally more engaged. This is because groups provide a space for people to have discussions, share content, and connect with others who have similar interests.
4. Page roles
Another key difference between Facebook pages and groups is the way that roles are assigned.
Facebook pages have three main roles: admin, editor, and moderator. Admins have full control over the page, including the ability to add or remove other admins. Editors can create and edit posts, as well as manage page Insights. Meanwhile, moderators can help to keep the page organized and tidy, but they cannot make any changes to the page itself.
On top of that, groups also have three roles: admin, moderator, and member. Admins also have full control over the group and can modify rules, accept or ban members, and other admin privileges. Moderators can help with tasks such as approving new members and removing posts that violate the group’s rules. Finally, members are the general users of the group who do not have any special privileges.
5. Restrictions
Facebook pages do not have any restrictions on who can like or follow them. However, Facebook groups can be set up so that only approved members can see the group’s posts and join in on the discussion.
Specifically, Facebook groups can be designated as public, private, or secret:
- Public groups are open to anyone on Facebook, and anyone can see the group’s posts.
- Private groups are invite-only, and only members can see the group’s posts.
Secret groups are hidden from Facebook searches, and only members can find the group.
6. Membership
Facebook pages can have an unlimited number of likes or followers. In contrast, Facebook groups are capped at 5,000 members. Once a group hits that limit, certain restrictions are automatically put in place, such as admins being able to send a private message to the entire group at once.
7. Moderation Tools
Both Facebook pages and groups have moderation tools that can be used to keep the content appropriate and on-topic. However, these tools work in different ways.
Pages have a few moderation options, such as the ability to delete comments and ban users from the page. Groups have more comprehensive moderation features, such as the ability to approve or deny membership requests, as well as to remove posts and comments.
What’s more, both pages and groups also have the option to use profanity filters to automatically censor certain words.
Pros and cons of Facebook pages
Facebook Pages is a powerful tool for businesses who want to build their presence on social media. Just like any tool, however, it has advantages and disadvantages. Here are they:
Pros of Facebook pages
- Offers a centralized, professional presence on social media: Brands and businesses can create an "official" presence on social media using Facebook pages.
Having one place to share basic business information (e.g., website, operating hours, contact details, etc.), updates and announcements, and engage with fans and customers can be very beneficial, especially for small businesses.
Aside from that, it also reduces the risk of impersonators or other unofficial business accounts popping up and causing confusion.
- Connects you with your target audience: The business-oriented features of Facebook pages make it easier to connect with your target audience.
For example, the Insights feature lets you see how people are interacting with your page, what kinds of posts are most popular, and when your fans are online. This information can help you better tailor your content to the needs and interests of your audience. Amd the facebook planner allows you to schedule posts to publish anywhere in the future from 20 minutes up to 75 days.
- A low-cost way to promote your brand: Creating and maintaining a Facebook page is free. You can also use the platform to run low-cost ads that target a very specific audience. When done correctly, this can be an extremely effective way to promote your brand and reach new prospects.
- Now allows for more engaging content formats: Facebook pages now allow businesses to create more engaging stories using a variety of multimedia content, such as images, videos, and GIFs. This can be a great way to capture attention and stand out from the competition.
- Can drive traffic to your website: You can also use your Facebook business page to direct your audience to your website. For instance, you can include a link to your website in your page’s About section or in the posts you share.
Cons of Facebook pages
- There's no guarantee that your audience will see your posts: A page like is not a guarantee that your audience will see your posts. In fact, the average organic reach of a Facebook page post is only about 0.07%.
Facebook's algorithm decides what content is shown in a person's newsfeed, and it generally favors posts from friends and family over businesses. This means that you'll need to put extra effort into promoting your page if you want to ensure that your target audience sees your content.
Additionally, this also includes requesting your followers to manage their notification settings so that your posts show up on their newsfeeds – and not everyone is willing to do this for brands.
- Limited opportunities for engagement and interaction: One of the biggest disadvantages of Facebook pages is that it offers very few ways to interact with your audience.
Unlike a group, where people can comment on each other's posts and have discussions, the only way to interact with a page is to like, share, or comment on a post.
This can make it difficult to build relationships with your fans and customers, and it can also make it harder to get feedback about your products or services.
- It can take time to build up a following: It takes time, effort, and regular posting to build up a following on Facebook.
This can be hard for small businesses that don't have a lot of resources to dedicate to social media. If you're not willing to put in the work, it's likely that your page will languish with few likes and little interaction.
- Your page can look unprofessional if it's not updated regularly: A poorly-maintained business Facebook page can potentially harm your reputation.
If your page is outdated, has few posts, or hasn't been active for a long time, it can make your business look unprofessional.
- It can be difficult to compete against brands with bigger budgets: While creating a Facebook page for your business is free, running effective campaigns and ads on the platform can be expensive.
If you're competing against brands with deeper pockets, it can be difficult to get your content seen by your target audience.
Pros and cons of Facebook groups
Similar to Facebook pages, Facebook groups are also a useful addition to any social media marketing strategy. To maximize your results, it’s essential to understand its strengths and shortcomings as a tool.
Pros of Facebook groups
- Given preference in Facebook newsfeeds over pages: Facebook groups focus on participation and engagement, which means members are more active inside groups versus people who simply like a page.
And the more a person interacts inside groups, the more often it will appear in their newsfeeds. Finally, a person's Facebook groups are listed prominently on the sidebar, while pages are not.
- This high engagement can also lead to organic growth: If members are regularly interacting with posts, sharing content, and starting discussions, the group will begin to grow organically - aka free marketing and visibility for your brand.
- It can be a great way to build relationships with customers and followers: Since members are more likely to interact with posts and discussions, you can use the group as a platform to answer questions, provide customer service, and get feedback about your products or services.
- Create a community around your brand: Never underestimate the power of a strong community. If you can build a group of passionate followers, they can become your biggest advocates and help to promote your brand - even without you asking them to.
Cons of Facebook groups
- It can be hard to grow a Facebook group: One of the biggest problems with Facebook groups is that they can be difficult to promote.
Unlike a page, there's no easy way to invite people to join, and you can't run ads targeting group members.
You should be ready to spend a lot of time and effort initiating discussions, sharing content, and inviting people to join if you want your group to be successful.
- Groups require more maintenance than pages: Facebook groups also require more time and effort to maintain than pages. As an administrator, you'll need to monitor discussions, remove spammy or inappropriate posts, answer questions, and keep the group active. If you're not willing to put in the work, it's likely that your group will fizzle out.
- No tools to gather insights and analytics: One of the biggest drawbacks of Facebook groups for brands is the lack of business-oriented tools.
Unlike pages, there is no insights or analytics dashboard to help you track the performance of your group. This makes it difficult to measure your results and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Not ideal for marketing purposes: You can't run ads inside Facebook groups, and in general, many people are turned off by marketing activities inside groups.
If your goal is to use the group as a platform for promoting your products or services, you'll likely be disappointed with the results.
Facebook pages vs groups - which is right for your brand
First, we recommend that you create a Facebook Page for your brand no matter what your marketing goals are. Pages give you more control over your brand’s presence on Facebook, and they offer valuable insights and analytics that can help you track your progress vs. your KPIs, optimize your content strategy, and more.
Still, creating a Facebook group for your business in addition to a page won't hurt - as long as you're ready for the commitment it takes to grow and maintain one.
On top of all that, you also need to understand the role each one will play in your marketing strategy, so you can maximize their benefits while setting realistic expectations.
Let's use a SaaS company as an example:
- They can use their official Facebook page to announce new features, share blog posts and company news, run ads, and more.
- To complement that, they may create a Facebook group to nurture their user base. In this group, members can discuss SaaS features, collaborate on projects, give feedback, and provide support to each other - all with personal engagement from the SaaS company itself.
Together, these two platforms offer a well-rounded social media strategy that can help the company reach its marketing goals while taking care of its audience.
Facebook page vs group - wrapping it up
Choosing between a Facebook page vs group boils down to why you're creating one in the first place.
Decide if a Facebook group or page is right for your brand by thinking about your goals, understanding the pros and cons, and knowing how to use both pages and groups to your advantage.
Regardless of the tool you choose, Reporting Ninja's Facebook Reporting Services can help you measure, track, optimize, and report your results. It's as easy as linking your Facebook business assets to our platform, then using our intuitive tools to handle the rest.
Get started with a free trial today!
