Facebook Group vs. Fan
In addition to personal profile pages, Facebook offers two other ways to promote interaction between members: groups and fan pages. While these two accounts share similar features and options, they also differ in key ways. Each one serves a different purpose, in terms of both use and focus. Groups generally offer more of a message board or chat room type of feel, while a fan page is more similar to a personal profile page.
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Creation
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Groups are created by anyone with an interest in creating one, and are as inviting or restricted as the creator wishes. Fan pages are created by an authorized representative of the public entity the page showcases, and are in the same vein as a personal page. This means that anyone can see and "Like" a fan page, while groups vary in privacy and require permission and approval for new members to join.
Use
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A group generally revolves around a single interest, and brings together like-minded individuals to discuss and share information and experiences in said interest. A fan page focuses on a specific public entity, such as a business or public personality, and encourages the public to "Like" the page to stay up to date on information and news relating to the page subject. "Writers" would work as a group to bring individuals together to talk about the craft of writing and share their work, while "Stephen King" works as a fan page to announce new releases by the author and public appearances.
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Privacy
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Fan pages are typically open to the public, allowing anyone to see the posts and information regardless of whether or not they have "Liked" the page. Groups offer more privacy options, ranging from open, closed and secret. Open groups are available from Facebook's search feature and allow nonmembers to see the posts and content within them, while closed groups only show the group name and members. A secret group does not appear in search results at all, and the name of the group does not show on the personal profiles of members.
Audience
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Anyone can view and "Like" a fan page, and there is no limit to the number of "Likes" a fan page receives. Group membership is more selective and limited, often requiring approval from an administrator before a new member can join. People who "Like" a fan page generally have no extended interaction with each other, while group members can interact directly with other members within the group, and discussion is encouraged.
Communication
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Facebook groups and fan pages differ not only in the way the audience interacts with them, but also in the way they interact with their audience. Groups offer the ability to mass message members -- until the group amasses more than 5,000 members -- and notify members of scheduled events via their Facebook inbox. Fan page updates appear directly in their audiences' News Feeds, and can employ the use of applications and promotional widgets to connect with and advertise.
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