At 12:01 AM Eastern Time tonight (or Saturday morning if you want to be a stickler) Facebook is allowing you to pick a vanity URL, also known as a personalized web address, for both personal Facebook profiles and public Pages.
Here’s the link you want to click when the clock strikes a minute past midnight: http://www.facebook.com/username/
Of course you have to be logged in to Facebook to access this page. Currently you’ll see a countdown to the golden hour.
So if you’re the manager of a Facebook public Page for your business, make sure to reserve your company’s username tonight. The social network is handing these out on a first-come, first-serve basis. In addition, according to Facebook:
Your username must be at least five characters in length and only include alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9), or a period or full stop (“.”).
Facebook Page Restrictions
However, there are a couple restrictions to registering usernames that I should point out:
- Only Pages with more than 1,000 fans before May 31st will be eligible to choose a username. Facebook implemented this rule to keep people from creating multiple Pages this week solely for the purpose of squatting on multiple usernames.
- Once you pick your username/vanity URL, there’s no way to change or transfer it. So when you choose, choose wisely. Check your spelling, twice.
- Your chosen username has to closely match your business name. So forget about trying to register facebook.com/food or facebook.com/movies.
Here’s more information from Facebook: Facebook Usernames Coming Soon for Pages
What About Trademarks?
If your company has trademarked its name or owns additional trademarked terms, Facebook is helping to prevent your competitors from snatching up those usernames. Simply fill out Facebook’s Preventing the Registration of a Username form.
If you don’t have the required 1,000 fans yet, or even a Facebook Page for that matter, filling out this form will help secure your trademarks.
In The Air Tonight
So do what you have to do to stay up late tonight. (If you’re over 30 and have kids, you know what I’m talking about.)
Crank up the Miami Vice soundtrack on your headphones, watch Riptide reruns on Netflix, finish building that toy car model of Magnum’s Ferrari, fire up a Tumblr devoted to 80’s TV references, whatever it takes.
And tomorrow morning, as the sun rises, you’ll awake, refreshed and ready to greet the world with your easy-to-link-to, SEO-friendly, personalized Facebook URL.ce
A reference to Genesis in the title and a picture of Phil’s greatest album, all in one blog post. How can I thank you?