Facebook is Finally Letting Users Choose Their Names

If you use Facebook you may have noticed that annoying gray box at the top of your news feed that states "Soon you will be able to have a username". What exactly does that mean and why the fuzz should you care?

What this means is that the URL to your Facebook page will no longer look like this: http://www.facebook.com/username/#/profile.php?id=1324668724 it will look more like this: www.facebook.com/ArtiSansLabel.

Now here is why you should care:

First off, Simplicity. When was the last time you tried to tell someone your Facebook address. Never, that's when. You do it all the time with Myspace because it is simple, myspace.com/yourband, but with Facebook it was always "find us on Facebook" or "...there's a link to our Facebook page on our Myspace/website/whatever." If someone tells me I need to check out a band the first thing I do is type their name after www.myspace.com. If it doesn't pop-up or is the wrong band then I do a search.

Secondly, Visibility. Search engines will love the fact that your name is in the URL and reward you by putting your link in one of the top results. It is a very good idea to make sure that when people search for you, they find you.

Third, Establishing your brand. Many bands have similar names, your band might even have the same name as another band. You might have had to settle for a less-than-cool variation of your bands name for your myspace because of this. Well now you can lock in your simple to dictate, easy to find URL for your Facebook page and put yourself ahead of those other flapjacks that have the nerve to call themselves by your band's name! Not to mention that Facebook is pretty much the reigning champ of social networking sites. (check this out if you don't believe) So if you can only have the perfect URL on just one social networking site, make it Facebook.

So what do you need to do?

Visit this page www.facebook.com/username at 12:01 am EDT on June 13th (that's 9:01 pm on June 12th for all us west coasters) and follow the instructions. I know it's Friday night and you have a gig orwould rather go hangout with your friends but I suggest being on that page right at that time (or have a superfan/friend/your mom do it) otherwise someone else might get the username that you want and need. By the way folks, this happens tonight!

Choose wisely...