Whats the Difference between a Facebook fan page and Facebook groups? This is usually one of the first questions asked about social media for business.

Facebook provides two methods of business networking. Facebook Pages, which have a "like button", and Facebook Groups which have a "join button". The buttons essentially do the same thing, connecting users with the business. The wording reflects the style of each, ie to "like" a page (or brand), or "join" a group (or club).

There are pro's and cons to both pages and groups, and the right choice for your business will be a personal choice.
The main differences to note are:

• Groups allow you to send a message to the Facebook inbox to all members, up to 5,000.

• Groups show your personal profile as an administrator

• A fan page can only communicate with its fans by adding a new post which appears as a status update on the fan pages wall and in the fans news feed.

• Anyone can "like" a fan page. A group can be open to anyone, or only accept people after you've invited them.

• Customization. Applications are available to a fan page, including HTML. This means fan pages are ideal for landing pages directing traffic to a website.

Groups are useful for organizing on a community or personal level much like a sports club or community group. Groups also allow fans of things like TV shows to create groups about the common interest and invite discussion. We don't recommend Facebook groups for businesses.

Pages are recommended for building brands, businesses, and organizations that wish to connect with users without a direct link to a personal account.