Choosing usernames for Facebook pages is not always as easy as it seems. In a similar fashion to choosing the right domain name for a new Website, the process can sometimes appear to be a little confusing and even difficult in some cases. However, users can perhaps be comforted by the fact that Facebook works to create a trusted environment, especially around its Pages. The whole ideology stems around the goal to help define the identities of the people and brands with which users interact.
In a similar fashion, usernames for Facebook Pages communicate this identity and make it easier for people to find and interact with your Page. For example, people can enter the Facebook username as a search term on Facebook or search engines to find your Page. In addition, usernames allow public entities to easily promote their presence on Facebook with a short URL. This username can be used in marketing communications, company website, and even business cards.
How To Select A Username
You can only select a unique username for yourself, Website, business, church, organisation, institution etc. when 25 or more people are connected to your page. Facebook usernames will be available in basic text forms, and you can only choose a single username for each of the Pages that you administer. The Page username must be at least five characters in length and only include alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9), or a period or full stop (“.”).
Avoid Making Silly Mistakes
The selected username should clearly identify what you or your business stand for. This means that the created username will be as closely related to your name or business name as possible. This will prevent any sort of confusion or misrepresentation. For example, a Facebook page dedicated to the results of the just concluded Nigerian Presidential elections would not be called something like “Wayne Rooney Goals” as they are completely unrelated. Furthermore, generic words (e.g. restaurant) are not available as options for Facebook usernames. Consequently, you have to think carefully about the username you choose for your Page and sometimes go as far as improvising if your username is already taken and is being used by someone else. Remember, that once a username is selected, you will not be able to change or transfer it any longer.
Be sure to check out Facebook’s Help Center for answers to common questions about Facebook Pages or report an infringing username to Facebook’s username infringement Help Center.
15 Comments
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Karla
April 19, 2011 at 11:18 am
Hah! I’ve used my chance and I used my usual pseudo name but now that I think about it I wanna change my user name again the only problem is we’re only allowed to change our user name once. *sigh* Bummer.
monica
April 19, 2011 at 1:06 pm
It’s great. Thanks for the information. I appreciate the tips that have been given in this article, it is almost extremely clear. Thanks for the tips.
Admin
April 29, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.
Jennifer Wade
April 19, 2011 at 2:59 pm
Facebook is always perfect with its features. The option to choose name for your page is the finest way to make a prominent identity your business page. The thing that matters is, to select the right name for the page. People usually make big mistake by using the wrong key word just to give a cool look. I appreciate your detailed analysis.
Manifo
April 20, 2011 at 12:26 pm
yeap! that’s true. Once i had such situation…i was looking for any info about webdesign on Facebook. I’ve found -i thought appropraite- facebook site but it turned out it was a garden designing company but their facebook name made me mistake.
Mag
April 20, 2011 at 6:33 pm
The idea of a username is great, because it makes it really easy for people to find you. It could probably even help with your rankings on Google if you link it to your site, and attract people to it. But once you make a username, is it permanent or are you able to change it?
Admin
April 29, 2011 at 12:45 pm
No, the username is permanent so you won’t be able to change it.
Angela
April 21, 2011 at 7:33 am
This whole concept of username is good but simultaneously a lot more complex for new users of Facebook, though it makes easier for people to find and interact with their pages with short URL, it’s terms of selecting an unique username which should identify our business or work is quite difficult for users when there are millions of users associated with Facebook and not only this once we have selected our username we will not be able to change or transfer it any longer is totally unacceptable.
Mohammed
April 21, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Very decent advice. You’re right, it’s pretty much like selecting your email address or domain name. You’re stuck with them. I chose a bizarre user name for my main youtube account and now I’m stuck with it and i ended up hating it. They should really change this policy.
Luqman
April 21, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Nice information, facebook username must be as good as the personal name for individual, business name for company and so on. It gives easy access to your facebook account.
Karen Arbutine
April 23, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Users are asked to use a unique username but with facebook being the top social networking site, the users have crept up to billions and asking for a billion unique name from each one doesn’t make sense. It’s for the sake of security but I still hate the unique name race. Let’s hope that some changes takes place as Mohammed@Mange says and there won’t be too many complications involved.
megan
August 3, 2011 at 4:55 am
I heard that they don’t allow new accounts to change profile acount name in facebook, I got mine change after a month I think.. 🙂
Susan
September 8, 2011 at 7:48 pm
I can be found under my name and it didn’t strike me choose something related to what I do. Now I’m thinking about making another just to help keep in touch with my friends and acquaintances in the real estate world. Thanks!
Easin
August 5, 2012 at 5:20 am
I think it will become common on most sites. I am glad google added it but i would like local trends also. i think they shoud also the search trends from google search and other internt site.
It definitly is and I can see how to really put it to good use, however, the rate at which people singed up with it was new would have lead me to think it would be much more popular and talked about amongst non-tech people by now. I think after people realised it didnt have a direct result on the serp pages they lost a little interest.
Kay
April 17, 2018 at 8:25 pm
Help me guys. I am trying to correct my facebook name coz the spelling is wrong.