I've been asked many times recently what the difference is between a Facebook fan page and a Facebook group. It's a great question and the two are similar enough that it can sometimes be confusing.

Here's my short answer: if you have a logo and a legal entity, you probably want a fan page. Otherwise, you probably want a group.

Fan pages are more appropriate for businesses, non-profits, organizations, or any entity that has a legal presence and a brand. For example, SpinWeb has a fan page because it's a company. Many of our non-profit and association clients also have fan pages, such as the AMTA Indiana Chapter. These organizations have legal status and a brand and therefore are appropriate candidates for a fan page.

Groups are designed for decentralized common-interest communities. They are great for clubs, topics, and any community that doesn't necessarily have a "home office" but needs a place to host a discussion and post information. Groups are frequently used for causes, common interests, and events.

So what's the difference? Here are some basic technical differences:

Fan pages

• No limit on number of fans (members)
• Can install applications
• Indexed by Google
• No privacy controls
• Announcements are sent as Facebook updates
• Geared toward business

Groups

• Limit of 5,000 members
• Cannot install applications
• Not indexed by Google
• More advanced privacy controls
• Announcements can be sent as Facebook messages
• Geared toward personal

Take these things into account when deciding whether to create a fan page or a group and you will get more out of your Facebook presence. Does anyone else have any creative examples of fan pages or groups? Comments are welcome.

I've been asked by many people recently to describe what a Facebook fan page is. For this reason, I thought I would write a short explanation.

A fan page on Facebook is a miniature landing page or micro-site on Facebook that serves as a "home base" for your business or organization. It is different from a Facebook profile (which is designed for people). While your Facebook profile represents you as a person, your fan page represents your business or organization.

Fan pages contain information such as business contact information, website, hours, location, and other basic business information. A fan page is also a great platform for posting your blog articles, events, and photos.

Fan pages are also designed to collect Fans in the form of other Facebook users who have subscribed to updates from your fan page. This means that your fans will be notified of new updates to your fan page.

Fan pages also get indexed by Google, which is a great way to drive additional traffic to your business.

Fan pages are also great places to engage with your customers. Some companies carry on discussions with customers via their fan pages and embrace the transparency it provides. Customers who have an easy way to offer open feedback are happier and more satisfied.

A fan page is easy to set up and free. If your business does not maintain a Facebook fan page, consider setting one up and becoming active in posting information. It can be a great way to expand your brand presence.

To see an example, consider becoming a fan of SpinWeb's fan page.

To set up a fan page, scroll to the bottom of any Facebook page and click on "Advertising". Feel free to comment here with any questions.

All websites are not created equal. At SpinWeb, we know this and take great care in crafting association and corporate websites that provide clear benefits to site visitors and assist our clients in meeting their marketing and communications objectives. So what makes an effective website?

1. Design. Good design matters. When prospective customers or members visit your website, they are making a snap judgment about your organization. I have lost count of how many times I have heard my friends say (when talking about an organization) "Have you seen their website? It looks terrible!" People notice your image. It matters and it makes an impression.

2. Content. Along with good design, quality content contributes to the impression your website visitors have of your organization. Not only should your content be grammatically-correct and well-written, but it should be current. If you are posting news items, blog entries, or time-oriented items, be sure that these areas are kept up-to-date. Otherwise, your organization looks stale. Consider hiring a content writer to ensure that your organization is presenting itself professionally.

3. Usability. Resist the temptation to cram everything on the home page. Instead, craft a logical navigation structure that allows your site visitors to progress through information in a way that makes sense to them. This can be done through a simple card sorting exercise or by consulting with your website design agency (who may use card sorting as part of their process).

4. Transaction-ready tools. Today's websites must be far beyond the days of the "online brochure". Site visitors today demand interactive tools that allow them to purchase items, register for events, get answers, communicate with others, pay bills, and acquire content. In order to be competitive, your website must provide these tools and process data in real time. These tools must also make it easy to capture information and process it for later communication so that you don't lose touch with visitors. Don't make visitors call to register, fill out a paper form, or wait three days for an answer. These activities must happen in a matter of minutes via your website.

5. Structural quality. Most people don't ever see the code "under the hood" that makes up a website, but how that code is structured makes a difference in the user experience. Clean, well-crafted code will result in a website that loads quickly, is search-engine friendly, and is accessible to users with disabilities.

6. Social media integration. Today's websites must integrate seamlessly into social media in order to have an effective presence. Be sure your press releases, blogs, events, and other content items include a "Share This" button to allow site visitors to easily share your content. Your website should also automatically post content to other networks to automate the distribution process (done via Ping.fm). After this, be sure your employees are re-posting and participating in the resulting conversations.

7. Search engine marketing. Where do people go to find information? You guessed it: Google. If you are not targeting topical keywords and aligning your website with these terms, you are missing a huge opportunity. Creating a well-structured website is one prerequisite, but your organization must also invest in a systematic search engine marketing strategy that targets your audience correctly and collects leads from the resulting traffic. Organic search marketing is the most effective but AdWords are also effective.

While not a comprehensive list, these are the minimum requirements for an effective website. Whether your organization is an association or a corporation, these guidelines will help maximize the effectiveness of your website.

Are there other habits that you would like to add? I would love to hear your comments.

Your website navigation is a critical structural component of your website. A well-designed site navigation can create a comfortable and effortless user experience, while a poorly-design navigation can frustrate and chase away your website visitors.

One trend that I dislike is the philosophy of asking me to define "who I am" with website navigation. University websites do this all the time. Instead of providing me a logical path to find what I want, they instead present me with a decision tree that forces me to put myself into a box. I have to choose between being a student, alumnus, community member, instructor, prospective student, etc. What if I'm an alumnus, a community member, and a prospective student? What if I'm looking for something relevant to students but I fall into another group?

Don't force me to choose a label! Present me with a clear and logical site navigation that allow me to find what I want. Asking website visitors to fit themselves into boxes only serves to raise anxiety levels and increase the chance of frustration.

I had a great group of people in my Twitter class yesterday and we had some awesome discussion about how to use it for business. One theme that was recurring was how it leads to sales. It's a great topic and I think there are some misconceptions out there.

Social media will not fix your marketing strategy. It should not replace your current efforts or cause you to shift all of your time onto Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. If your marketing strategy is broken, you must fix that first - social media will not save it. At the same time, it is a mistake to ignore it and continue the status quo.

Social media is a set of tools that augment, supplement, and assist as a component of your marketing strategy. It can give you a competitive edge. Social media can give you more effective ways to build relationships with your customers, prospective customers, and networking partners.

Remember that social media is not a magic bullet. However, ignoring it is also a mistake. Find the most appropriate ways to augment and supplement your marketing strategy with social media and enjoy the benefits of a more full-featured marketing toolbox.