Facebook Requires a Digital Signature for Pages

Today, allfacebook.com announced Facebook’s new “digital signature” for Facebook pages. In order to create a public profile page, the user must be “an official representative”. A user proves this by checking a box stating so and submitting an “electronic signature.” Facebook may be doing this to help protect brands from brand “hijacking” (a situation where someone poses as a representative from the brand leading to either misrepresentation of the brand or even giving false information). A perfect example: Exxon Mobile.

On one hand, this makes perfect sense. As a brand you may not want to have someone who is unauthorized using your name. Who knows what these dopplegangers could do! Slander! Libel! False information! Words that tarnish your brand reputation! Surely, these are a brand’s worst nightmare. On the other hand, Facebook’s move may also limit brands. This move limits a brand’s fans and/or community evangelists. Though as brand you may be able to start your own Facebook Page, you may not know where and how to find your audience and be left with a fan page populated by the internal members of your marketing team.

Sometimes, a consumer may love, admire, adore, enjoy or like your brand so much, they take it upon themselves to create a web presence (in this case a fan page) for you. Most of the time people do this because they want to meet other fans or spread all the good things they have to say about your brand. These people are a brand’s dream come true– they say good things about your brand, tell other people about your brand and find others who are apt to the same. Your very own brand evangelists! The smart thing to do is embrace these people and the communities they’ve started around your brand. Join the community, listen to what they are saying about you, learn about your brand through the eyes of the consumer, have a presence and be active. Because really, that’s all you can do.