Tonight Facebook will be opening up usernames to Facebook Pages that have between 100 and 1,000 fans. According to our page statistics tracker that accounts for over 429,000 pages or just over 30 percent of all Facebook Pages. This presents a huge opportunity for those businesses that don’t currently have as large of a following. Page administrators will be able to claim their usernames after 11:59 PM EDT tonight.
Facebook has been making adjustments on the limitation of the number of fans up until the last minute. As of yesterday, those pages with 25 or more fans could register but today Facebook increased that limit to 100 fans. This has removed over 401,000 Pages that were previously going to be eligible for receiving a username this evening. This restriction is understandable as Facebook wants to prevent any squatters from creating numerous pages and quickly inviting enough users that they can grab usernames.
So what are the most important things that you need to know about this evening’s username land grab? Facebook has provided the following information that you should keep in mind:
- Usernames will be available for all Pages that have “more than 100 fans” starting at 11:59 EDT this evening via http://www.facebook.com/username. The company has not clarified if it’s Eastern Daylight Time although we assume that it is since that’s when the last one took place.
- Usernames can only contain alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) or a period (“.”).
- Generic names are not available. As Facebook writes via the “Username: Facebook Pages” help page, “At this time, generic words are not available as usernames. Facebook encourages all users and Page administrators to create a username that closely matches the true identity of their name or business.”
- As usual, usernames will be non-transferrable.
If you are looking to improve the SEO of your Facebook Page then this is a great addition. Also, selecting a username means that you will be able to have a mobile short code. This means you can tell people to text “fan [username]” to 32665 (FBOOK) from their mobile phones, and they will be added as fans instantly. If you are still confused about Facebook usernames, then head on over to the Facebook username help page.
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there is something wrong, because in italy is 12:12, and i can not 'change the url of my page
Comment by Facebook User — June 28, 2009 @ 2:14 pm
Try at
EDT (NY & Washington) 12am
PDT (PT) will be 9pm Sunday
CDT (CT) will be 11pm Sunday
UK & Eire(BST/IST): 5AM Monday
CEST (France,Spain and 'Western Europe') 6AM
AUS (NSW): 2pm Monday
Comment by Jamie Ellis — June 28, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
I’m not able to activate it. I manage two fan pages with 300 fans, systems says I need 1000 fans! Rather high for small countries
Comment by Nancy Verbrugghe — June 28, 2009 @ 6:24 pm
When i go to register for my pages username at facebook.com/username it just prompts me to create a personal profile. I don’t think this will help my goal of creating a username for my page.
I have over 100 fans.
Comment by Daniel — June 28, 2009 @ 7:04 pm
You guys, has to wait till San Francisco time, not local time =)
Comment by Facebook User — June 28, 2009 @ 7:20 pm
Of note, this also does not work on Facebook Application Pages. Just tried and I'm being denied.
Comment by Jesse Stay — June 28, 2009 @ 8:09 pm
7AM EST: it works!
Comment by Andrea Sciamanna — June 28, 2009 @ 9:11 pm
Hey guys,I need 100 fans. If you can add me, I will return the favor
Comment by lisa — June 28, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
Travesty that FB decides to shove more than 400,000 Pages off the cliff because they don’t yet have 100 fans. Understandable you say, to prevent squatting. But what about all of those pages that are brands – small to large – that have only recently launched a page … and have yet to kick marketing into gear? I guess they have to wait, now that Facebook, at the last minute, decides to up the requirement by 400%. Horribly poor customer service move on their part.
I have several legitimate small businesses I represent as admins of their pages. They’re not ‘squatters’, just brands trying to secure their names for their legitimate pages. You brush this decision off like Facebook can do no wrong. Come on. Stop worrying about offending Facebook for a minute and try looking out for the hundreds of thousands of legitimat, honest people trying to figure out how to cope with the rules and ever changing regs of this necessary but maddening platform.
Comment by Jeff C — June 28, 2009 @ 10:30 pm
i registered my name with the trademark i have and now facebook wont let me claim the URL, is anyone else having this problem?
Comment by Anthony Schaefer — June 28, 2009 @ 10:46 pm
Same problem. Did the trademark pre-registration thing a couple of weeks ago and now, 16 hours after the second landrush began, it still says the username is not available. Fortunately, it doesn’t look like anyone else has claimed it.
I filled out the IP-infringement form…we’ll see how long it takes to hear back.
Comment by Tim — June 29, 2009 @ 4:16 pm
I tried to get a username for my company’s Page and have basically been blocked by a FB error. They asked me to verify using my cell phone, which I did. They sent me a code but when I tried to enter it on FB, they tell me that code is invalid. So I asked for another confirmation code. They sent me the same one. I tried to enter it again and was told it is invalid. So I asked for a code one more time and they sent me the same code for the third time. And guess what – it still comes up invalid. And of course there’s no way to contact anyone at FB so even though I sent them a message about their own issue, will I ever hear back? Will I ever be able to get the username? I’m quite disappointed in FB at this time.
Anyone else have the same trouble?
Comment by Charlene James — June 29, 2009 @ 4:30 pm
A few days ago, the limit was for Fan Pages with 25 members. As soon as my page got 25 members, the limit increased to 100 members. Now, I hear rumor that the limit shoots up once you've reached that to 400 or 1000 members – can anyone confirm this??
Comment by Frank — June 30, 2009 @ 10:18 am
I am having the same problem as Tim and Anthony. Does anyone have any feedback on this, or a way to report it using the maze that is the Facebook help center?
Comment by Carrie — July 13, 2009 @ 12:12 pm
Facebooks decision to increase the lower limit for Fan Pages (in order to get an User Name) has created BIG problems for me!
I have three new Fan Pages (for three different brands and target groups) and started three contest where the first 25+ Fans would win prices. And now I have to tell all Fans that the contests must be delayed or cancelled.
I would gladly have payed for a "Facebook VIP-membership" in order to avoid problems like this…
Comment by Kalle — August 4, 2009 @ 10:19 am
I'm a member at 100fans.org and we help people get Facebook fans to qualify for the short URL.
Also if you'd like to become part of the fan team then go to http://www.100fans.org/contact-info.html
Comment by Wendy — August 16, 2009 @ 6:39 am