Looking to convert your Facebook profile to a Page? We’re here to help!
Changing your profile to a Facebook page is a significant decision and should be made thoughtfully, especially if you’ve built up a lot of personal content and connections on your profile. However, the decision may make sense if you’re looking to promote your business to your network, or you had previously created a Facebook profile for a product or service and now you want to make it a business page.
In this article, we’ll guide you through converting your profile to a page on Facebook.
But first, have you tried professional mode on Facebook?
If you’re a solopreneur or looking to build your personal brand, you no longer need to change your profile to a page. Or, if you have been promoting your business through your own Facebook profile, like many others, you now have a better way to do it. And that is switching to the professional mode. Professional mode is a new Facebook feature that allows you to build your public presence while also maintaining your personal reach. Here are some benefits that come with a professional mode:
- Monetisation of your reels.
- More advanced analytics of your content.
- Professional features, such as appointment scheduling, payment processing, and integration with third-party tools.
- Ability to run Facebook Ads.
- Easy switch back option.
How to switch to professional mode on Facebook?
Switching to professional mode is pretty simple. You just need to:
- Go to your profile.
- Click on three dots on the right side of your screen.
- You’ll see an option saying “Turn on professional mode”. Click on that.
And that’s it! You’ve turned on professional mode for your Facebook profile. Just keep in mind that your profile should be public first to be able to switch to professional mode.
Facebook Page vs professional mode: How are they different?
Although Facebook professional mode allows you to run ads, promote and monetise posts, and see advanced analytics, it’s a totally different feature compared to a Facebook page. Here are some important differences between a Facebook page and professional mode:
- You can add multiple collaborators to manage a Facebook business page together, but you can’t do so for a profile on professional mode.
- You can pay to promote a business page, but in professional mode, you can only pay to promote posts, websites, or videos.
- You can ask your friends to follow your business page. In professional mode, people who are your friends or want to be your friends are automatically following you.
- You can switch back to a regular Facebook profile from professional mode, but you can’t do this with a business page.
- In professional mode, you can still send friend requests, but you can’t do that with a business page.
Consider these differences, and pick the one that suits your use case best! And if you don’t think that professional mode is for you, let’s discuss how to convert a Facebook profile into a page next.
How to convert a Facebook profile into a page
Converting your Facebook profile into a Facebook Page isn’t as straightforward as switching to professional mode. You can no longer turn your account into a business page using your existing information like in the past. You either need to personally request Facebook to convert your profile into a page, or create a page from scratch. You probably know how to create a Facebook page from scratch but if you’re really looking to turn your profile into a page to maintain your existing reach, you might be able to do it through the help centre. Here’s what you can do:
- Go to Help & Support tab on your profile (or search for help and support)
- Click Help Centre.
- On the Help Centre, click on the search bar and type “Facebook profile to page”. You’ll see many suggestions.
- Click on the first suggestion (which isn’t what you’re actually looking for but click it anyway).
- On the bottom of your screen, you’ll see a pop-up message that says “Was this helpful?”. Click No.
- You’ll now see a few options to describe what went wrong. Out of the options, check “Other”.
- You’ll now see a new command asking you to say more.
- On the textbox, type that you want to convert your profile to a Facebook page and you’re not finding a way to do it. Put as many details as you can.
- You may receive a notification about the conversion of your Facebook profile into a page in a few days. If your profile can’t be changed to a page, you’ll hear back from the help centre as well.
Things to consider before converting your Facebook profile into a page
There are many things to consider before making your profile a page because the two things operate quite differently. A Facebook profile and a Facebook Page are two different things, so converting one into another could mean you’ll lose a lot of things, even though you’ll be connecting with your audience better and promoting your business in a more effective way. Here are a few things to consider:
Understand the differences
First and foremost, recognise the fundamental differences between a profile and a page. A personal profile is for non-commercial use and represents an individual person. A page, on the other hand, represents a business, celebrity, or cause, and comes with various functionalities like advertising, analytics, etc.
Backup your data
Converting your Facebook profile to a page means you’ll lose a lot of personal data. Therefore, back up your profile data before making any major changes. This includes posts, photos, videos, and other shared content. To do this:
- Go to Settings, then Privacy > Settings.
- Click on Your Facebook Information.
- Choose Download Your Information and follow the prompts.
Inform your friends
Let your friends, followers, and contacts know about the upcoming change. This helps reduce confusion later and ensures they understand the transition.
Review your current content
Delete or hide any personal posts, photos, or other content that you don’t want to be publicly associated with your new page. Remember that some of the content you shared on your personal profile might not be suitable or relevant for your new Page.
Assess friend list
When you convert your Facebook profile into a page, your friends and followers will become followers of the new page. If there are personal acquaintances that don’t align with the page’s purpose, inform them in advance, or consider whether this conversion makes sense.
Check connected apps and integrations
If you have any apps, games, or other third-party integrations connected to your profile, they won’t transfer to your new Page. Make sure you’re aware of this and be prepared to reconnect or find alternatives if necessary.
Understand page management
Familiarise yourself with managing a Facebook Page. It’s different from managing a personal profile, with added functionalities like insights, page roles, advertising, etc.
Plan for a new profile
Since you’re converting your current personal profile, consider whether you’ll want to create a new personal profile afterward. You might want a separate space for connecting with family and friends.
Gather graphics and branding materials
Pages require different graphics dimensions than profiles (e.g., cover photos). Have these materials ready, so you can quickly set up the page after the conversion.
Review privacy settings
Ensure that you’re comfortable with the public nature of pages. Once your profile becomes a page, the content becomes publicly accessible. Make sure you’re okay with this shift in privacy.
Conclusion
While a Facebook Page provides you with a more effective way to reach your audience and build a communications strategy, converting your profile into a page isn’t as straightforward as before.
However, the good news is that Facebook has recently introduced the professional mode that you can use to promote your profile or services to broader audiences beyond your own circle. You can switch it on and off anytime you want, and run almost all the activities a page offers.
