Of course, it’s not always appropriate or realistic to do this, with some arguing that it can dilute quality and even damage brand perception.

So what’s the answer? Here are a few pros and cons to help weigh up the argument.

Pros

Greater impact

While Facebook pages used to be a destination – the place users went to be able to consume content – changes to the algorithm means that these pages now act as publishers, with users being fed content directly in their News Feed. 

Meanwhile, as the algorithm rewards the most engaging content with greater reach, brands and publishers are taking advantage of this by separating out into multiple verticals or incredibly niche topics.

One of the most successful examples of this is Buzzfeed, which has an impressive 90 different pages in total. With the likes of Buzzfeed BFF and Buzzfeed Weddings, it can hone in on the audience’s super specific interests, essentially hoping that the more focused a page is, the better its content will perform.

With around 79 pages, Huffington Post has also demonstrated this approach – and proved it can work. For instance, a video about feminism generated 1.5m views when it was posted on the main HuffPost Facebook page, however, when it was posted on the HuffPost Women, it received 3.7m. 

This goes to show that putting relevant content in front of a small but highly engaged audience can generate more success than merely posting content to a large pool of people roughly interested in a similar theme.

Promotes localisation

Another reason for creating multiple Facebook pages is to promote localised content or products, where the strategy is aligned to growing a community based on geography rather than interest.

A good example is Lululemon, the women’s sportswear brand, which has multiple Facebook pages for its various store locations around the world. Whether it’s Lululemon Edinburgh or Lululemon Toronto, each page is dedicated to promoting specific in-store events (which in this case is often yoga classes) and store-specific offers. 

By doing this, the brand is able foster a real sense of community, as well as aid customer service, as most pages are run by the people who also work in the store location.

Cons

A lack of resources

So, while it can clearly be beneficial, having multiple Facebook pages is not always so easy or effective. 

One of the biggest drawbacks, often for smaller brands or publishers, is simply a matter of resources. Requiring constant monitoring and attention, it is naturally easier and less time-consuming to focus on just the one page. 

Revenue can also be a big issue. Again, for bigger brands like Buzzfeed, it might be feasible to duplicate advertising across multiple pages – yet this could be a very costly and unrealistic notion for others.

Duplicated content

One of the biggest cons is keeping a steady stream of original, relevant and engaging content across the board. It is quite likely that users will like multiple pages from the same brand, which in turn means that duplicated or similar content will be less effective, not to mention off-putting for users.

Finally, there is the suggestion that creating multiple pages for segmentation purposes is not only more hassle than its worth, but unnecessary due to the Facebook Targeting feature. This allows brands to post tailored content that can only be seen by a specific audience, meaning that you can already deliver the most relevant content to the right people.

All in all, perhaps it depends how much effort a brand is willing to put into its Facebook presence, alongside how ready and willing the audience is to embrace it.

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