Facebook is the largest and most successful social media website in the world. It's used by not only everyday people who want to connect with friends, family, and old classmates but also by business owners, who are looking to connect with their customers on a more personal level.

But did you know that there are different types of Facebook accounts, for both business and leisure?

If you haven't noticed already, there are two different types of Facebook accounts: a Facebook Profile and a Facebook Page. But what are the differences between the two?

Today's marketing tip is all about figuring out which type of account is best for your needs!

Facebook Profile

A Facebook profile is the original type of social media profile introduced by Facebook. It's your personal account, and it's what everyone receives when they sign up for an account on Facebook. It's what you use to make friends, chat with people, post pictures, share videos and articles, have conversations with friends, etc.

You can only have one Facebook Profile at a time although you can switch between your personal Facebook Profile and your Page without logging out, but we'll get to that in a minute. Your Facebook Profile should be used for personal matters, and never business matters. You also don't get as many helpful tools, such as Page Insights, with a basic Facebook Profile. That's one of the many reasons why having a Facebook Page is more beneficial to a business.

Facebook Page

Facebook's Pages were created as a way for businesses and business owners to have a profile of their own, separate from their much more personal Facebook Profile.

Pages can be set up by anyone who currently has a Facebook Profile, and there's no limit to how many Pages can be created by one account. You simply have to click the drop-down triangle menu on the top far right side of your Facebook toolbar to access your business pages.

The main advantage of a Facebook Page, as opposed to a Facebook Profile, is they allow anyone to "Like" your Page, rather than sending a friend request that must be accepted by the request receiver in order to view their content. You can also use Facebook Ads with a Page, allowing you to promote your business to more people, for a certain fee.

If you're wondering why you should be using a Facebook Page rather than your personal Profile for business, you can refer to the points I made above. But more importantly, if you use a Profile instead of a Page to promote your business, you're actually committing a big no-no, according to Facebook's Terms of Service . Promoting your business for profit on a personal Profile can get your account deleted. You're better off sticking to a Facebook Page for that kind of content, where it's legal.

Not only does a Facebook Page allow you to promote your business legally on the social network, but it also comes packed with some great analytic features, called "Insights," that allow you to track the success rate of your posts. From "Insights," you can view the number of people each individual post has reached, how engaged people were with your posts, and even the demographics of the people who have liked or interacted with your page! It's a really amazing and helpful tool.

So, remember, if you're going to be using Facebook to promote your business, and as a way to drive more people to your main website, avoid using your personal Facebook Profile to do so. Facebook has made it easy for anyone to get started with a business Facebook Page. Get started with yours today, and see how it can grow your business!

(And if you're looking to add your Facebook Page to your Atwill Media website, check out this quick and easy tutorial.)