Grab Your Name URL on Facebook

Facebook Problem:

Right now if you want to send someone to your profile, you have to figure out a URL that looks something like this:

www.facebook.com/people/Your-Name/596437890
(That's an inactive URL, BTW, so don't click it.)

Facebook Fix:

But wouldn't you rather own www.facebook.com/yourname?

And this becomes even MORE important for Facebook Fan Pages (not your regular friend profiles, the pages you can set up to promote your business.) Can you imagine how devastating it would be to have someone else own your company name in Facebook?

In the past, it was easy to own your own name on Facebook, all you had to do was to spend a large amount with Facebook (think $50,000+ per month) or be a huge celebrity, and it was yours.

Facebook Directions:

Here's what you have to do.

Login to Facebook then go to http://www.facebook.com/username

You will see a form that will give you several suggested usernames, and the ability to choose your own. Either choose one of the names suggested or type in your own.

Repeat this process for any Facebook Fan Pages you administer, though there are three catches: first, your page must have over 1000 fans prior to May 31st 2009, you can't claim something generic like travel or insurance, and you can't claim someone else's trademark.

In fact, if you have a registered trademark, I suggest you go to
http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=username_rights
right now to prevent others from grabbing your name.

If someone else already has your name, get creative - add a period, or a dash, shorten it, lengthen it, or slap a number in there somewhere.

Jason Berkes on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/jasonberkes