Unique Facebook Usernames

There’s been a flurry of news and activity on the net about Facebook and URLs, but in case you’ve missed it or think you’ve missed the boat, read on.

Facebook announced recently the option of registering a unique URL for your account. This gives you a unique and readable URL for your Facebook profile page, like this:

http://www.facebook.com/drrichard

…which is much nicer than the old version.

If you are already a Facebook user, you can register yours now. You’ll need to be quick though, since millions of usernames have been claimed already.

If you’re not already a Facebook user (or a group with less than 1000 fans), you’ll have to wait until June 28th. Facebook is using this window to try to reduce spammy-type grabbing of usernames – called username squatting.

OK. Back to business – how does this help you with your website? Is it worth doing?

Well, the current URLs for profiles aren’t very friendly, easy to remember, simple to pass on or very ‘brandable’. If you’re concerned about any of these, it’s worth seeing if you’re name is still available.

If you plan to try on the 28th, make sure you start early!

Tags: facebook, URL

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