If you think you have no use for Facebook, think again, because Facebook may have a use for you.
Facebook topped 70 million U.S. users last month, dethroning MySpace as the nation’s top social networking platform, and there are no signs of it slowing down. And now that Facebook is offering custom profile URLs, you may want to think about taking action sooner rather than later. Previously, Facebook profiles and pages were limited to hard-to-remember URLs filled with numerals and techno babble.
Here’s the scoop: you can now secure www.facebook.com/yourname or www.facebook/yourbusiness or facebook.com/ilovecats or whatever by logging into or creating a Facebook account and visiting www.facebook.com/username. That is, if someone hasn’t already snatched your choice. And there’s the rub. If someone else takes your choice first, you are out of luck and stuck with finding an alternative.
Therefore, even if you aren’t using Facebook at the moment, you may want to secure your own Facebook URL for possible future use, or at least as a hedge for protecting your (and your business’s) name.
Following is an excerpt on a recent article about the Facebook user name stampede:
UC Berkeley Assistant Professor Coye Cheshire, who researches social-exchange environments, wasn’t surprised by the rush to compete for a piece of virtual real estate. ”If Facebook continues to be the premier social-networking utility, then vanity URLs very well could be as important for individuals as domain names are for organizations and companies,” he said.
He’s right, but it’s not just important for individuals, but brands and companies as well. Indeed, you can create a Facebook “page” for your brand or business in addition to your own personal profile, and now that page can also have its own custom user name URL (starting right now if you currently have a page with 1,000 or more fans, or starting June 28 for others). See facebook.com/dell for an example.
Meanwhile, Twitter is coming on strong, too. Have you signed up for Twitter.com/yourbusiness? If not, you might want to grab it before someone else does. Never understimate the potential of online “squatters” to disrupt your URL experience.
P.S. If you are concerned about privacy on Facebook, click here for a primer on Facebook security settings. Remember that a Facebook personal “profile” is different than a business “page.” Even if you do not want to personally network on Facebook, you can create a business page. Such pages can be particularly beneficial for businesses that sell products or that otherwise have a “fan” base.
Posted by mooncatcher 
