Don’t Fake it!
Having two personal Facebook accounts can be very costly.
I’ve worked in social media since its inception and seen so many business owners make this costly mistake
– they set up a second personal account in order to start a Facebook business page from it.
It’s a fact that you need a personal account to create a Facebook business page – there’s no getting around this.
The reason why some business owners set up a second ‘fake’ account is because they wrongly believe that their personal account will be visible from their business page.
It’s against Facebook’s terms and conditions
Although there is some logic as to why people are innocently creating another Facebook profile and I get why people ask me ‘Can I have two Facebook accounts?’ But having more than one personal profile breaches Facebook’s rules. And believe me, they WILL take action.
The Facebook profile terms of service are in the public domain – yes, I know a lot of us neglect to read the small print – and to many it seems a harmless thing to do when starting to manage Facebook business pages. But, Facebook are under a lot of pressure to be 100% transparent and to close down any fake account.
In 2018 Facebook shut down 3.3 billion of these ‘fake’ accounts and in 2019 they removed 5.4 billion.
Since the Cambridge Analytica Scandal which shook the world during the early part of 2018, the rise of ‘robot’ accounts, and various other data privacy breaches which have put Facebook in an unfavourable light, they are clearly upping their game and ridding their platform of any account which they believe not to be genuine.
So, if ever you hear someone ask the question, ‘why has my Facebook account been shut down?’ there could be lots of reasons. It could be to do with inappropriate content, constant spamming or simply because they didn’t realise you can’t set up two profiles. Worth knowing isn’t it?
What are the risks of having two Facebook profiles?
If you have set up a second personal account in order to create a business page – don’t panic – in a bit, I’ll tell you what action you need to take. But first, it’s important to understand why it’s a risky business.
As the figures prove Facebook are not taking this breach of their terms and conditions lightly. When they say you can only have one personal account, they mean it. By all means, you can create as many business pages as you like connected to your ‘one and only’ personal account – so there’s no stopping you if you’re a serial entrepreneur.
- If Facebook believe a second account (or ‘fake’ account) has been set up they will remove it instantly. It’s a free platform so they’re allowed to do this without asking any questions first! Imagine the impact if you found your Facebook profile deleted without warning?
- If your fake Facebook profile is deleted and this was linked to a business page, you will lose your access to that business page – or, worse still, you could have your business page shut down too. You will lose all of your followers, you will lose all your hard work and potentially you could lose your reputation.
- You may have both of your personal accounts closed, as well as having your business page shut down, in which case you will lose all your personal connections and friends too.
Don’t underestimate how seriously Facebook takes this rule. I worked with one company who was spending around 80k every month on Facebook ads, but because they were in breach of Facebooks terms of business not only was the Facebook page frozen, but also the personal profiles of those staff who were linked to the page. Principles are being put before profit!
What to do if you have set up a second account
- Stop believing that followers will have access to your personal account. If your business page is set up correctly your personal profile and account will remain completely separate.
- It’s good practice to appoint at least 2 admins to your business page. They will be able to keep the page running if the worst-case scenario happens and your account gets removed. Remember that Facebook may also remove an admin’s personal account too if it’s affiliated to the business page so the more you can appoint without going overboard the better.
- Take the brave step of deleting your second fake account yourself before you find your Facebook profile blocked. One of your admins can reappoint you as an admin. Voila – you’ve got your control back!
But, how will Facebook know?
This is a question I get asked a lot. You can’t fool Facebook. Even if you use a different email account, a different telephone number, a different device or a different name, the social media giant will know. They’ll know the servers you use, your location, what account is linked to what and lots more – they will know you have two accounts.
It’s a risk not worth taking. You won’t gain anything.
Getting it right from the very start
I understand the concerns many individuals have when setting up a business page. The last thing I want is for these concerns to stop you running a successful business and living your dream.
With my online course, How To Create & Manage A Successful Business Page, I’ll guide you step by step and show you how to set up your Facebook business page and turn it into a hub of activity.
Once you are confident and understand the power of a Facebook business page, you’ll be achieving your goals in no time.
Bye for now,
Becs
