Businesses: Why I Won’t Be Your Friend on Facebook

By December 21, 2010Communications

It happened again just a moment ago. A local restaurant sent me a friend request on Facebook. This, one of dozens I’ve ignored, put me right over the edge.

Friends celebrate your birthday. Friends check up on you when you’re sick. Friends call you and invite you to go out.

It’s one of my pet peeves, I guess, people deciding their business needs to be on Facebook but, because they haven’t taken the time to learn how to do it right, they’re setting up profiles and sending friend requests to everyone in the community.

I will “like” your Facebook page but I WILL NOT BE YOUR FRIEND (and let’s face it, you’re not going to be mine, either.)

You’re Doing it Wrong!

In case you’re one of these offenders, realize this: if you are using Facebook as the representative of a business (I mostly see restaurants doing this) then what you want to do is set up an official business page. You will do this from YOUR profile — the one you set up with your name as a human being.

Profiles are for humans.

Pages are for businesses.

If you’re accepting friend requests from businesses you’re not doing them any favors – they will be limited by having a Facebook profile instead of a page. So turn them down, and if you have an extra second or two, let them know that what they want is a PAGE, not a profile.