Jeff Bullas posted today on the "6 Reasons Not to Have a Facebook Page" (via @JasonFalls) and focuses on some of the very real risks and challenges:
1. Facebook own your page not you ..think of it as renting or cyber squatting if you don't comply with their terms and conditions your Facebook page can be terminated with the push of one button. If you have a blog on your own domain and self hosted then you own it and have total control.
2. Facebook is not forever. As with all trends it will fade away (eg AOL) or morph into something else as the Web continues to evolve.
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Good stuff, but I believe it focuses on the technical without addressing the *real* number one reason why you shouldn't create a Facebook page for your brand (wait for it...):
You can't define the VALUE you will bring to your fans.
People fan a brand page on Facebook largely in order to derive some kind of value from it, be it practical or emotional. That value could be any number of things - access to exclusive content, membership in the cool kids club, early bird discounts and special offers, technical support, first word on new product announcements, or even behind the scenes looks at how the sausage is really made.
If you can't articulate which one of those you will provide to your fans, then you should step back and put the keyboard down until you can. If your content posting plan (you *do* have one, right?) doesn't clearly make the case for why people should become a fan (and remain one), then you need to consider a serious redo.
Already have a Facebook page for your company? Then take a fresh look at from the perspective of fan value. What are they getting out of it? Beyond "because they like us" can you clearly define why anyone should Like your page?
No? Then get to work.
Photo by rene_berlin on Flickr via CC License.