New Facebook Feature
Facebook has released a new tool that lets users convert their personal profile into a Facebook Page. Though the terminology is often muddled, a key difference between the two features is that users can simply “like” a Page while they must “friend” (establish a mutual relationship with) a profile, which makes Pages a much better solution for businesses and public figures.
On a help page explaining the new tool, Facebook describes what happens when you make the switch:
“Be aware that when you convert your profile to a Page, your profile pictures will be transferred, and all of your friends will be automatically added as people who like your Page. No other content will be carried over to your new Page, so be sure to save any important content before beginning your migration.”
Migrating is irreversible at this time, so you may want to download your profile information — including photos, wall posts, messages and friend list — before making the switch.
With the tool, Facebook’s prime target appears to be businesses and public figures that have previously set up a profile instead of a page. Beyond having a somewhat different feature set, profiles also have a 5,000 friend limit that has become a limitation for some popular entities.
I recommend that any public figure or business make this update as it also allows users who are not logged into Facebook to view your Facebook page where a personal profile will not. Let us know how you like this feature in the comments below.