What is Facebook? Ahh, the question on every millenial’s lips during the mid-2000s, back when the concept of social media was but an apple in Zuckerberg’s eye. If you’re still a little unsure as to what the original social media platform is capable of now, more than 20 years later, then don’t worry because we’re here to break it down for you. We’ll take a look at Facebook’s impressive arsenal of peripherals, including the marketplace, digital creator, and professional mode, so you can make sure you get the most out of it.
Of course, if you’re wondering what Facebook is, you might also want to download it, so check out our Facebook download guide. We also have answers to many of your other burning questions about social media sites, such as what is Twitter, what is Discord, what is Linkedin, and if you’re searching so hard your phone dies, we answer why does my phone keep turning off.
Here’s everything you need to know to answer the question of ‘what is Facebook?’
What is Facebook?
In short, Facebook is an online social media and social networking platform. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow Harvard College students all the way back in 2004, this decades-old social network paved the way for social media as we know it today. The platform still strives to offer new ways for people all over the world to connect with each other via the internet.
This social media behemoth still lets you keep up to date with your family and friends, while also acting as a means to let everyone else know what you’re up to. You can upload pictures, videos, and write a status just like you could when the site was in its infancy, and it’s still a fantastic method of connecting with people from all over the world. It’s got pretty much everything you need all in one place.
You can access Facebook from many devices with internet connectivity, such as mobile phones, PCs and laptops, tablets, and more. Facebook has a heap of other utilities, too, such as pages for celebrities, TV shows, games, and other public figures or products, groups where you can meet other like-minded people, event pages where you can talk to other attendees and organize details for the day, and more.
What are Facebook reels?
Acting in the same way as YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels, Facebook reels are short-form videos that you can share with any of your contacts. Facebook recommends reels in your feed based on what the algorithm deems relevant to you, and you can find them in your personal feed as well as the Facebook Watch section.
Check out the Facebook Help Centre section on Reels to find out more about how to create, share, manage, or report Facebook Reels.
What is Facebook professional mode?
Facebook professional mode is for creators and businesses to ‘reach their full potential on Facebook’, allowing you to earn money and view insights so you can better understand what types of posts resonate well with your community. In professional mode, you can unlock revenue opportunities for your business’ page, access useful tools to help you grow your audience, and more.
For more information, check out this official Meta for Creators post from December 2021, detailing all the useful features tied to Facebook professional mode.
What is a Facebook digital creator account?
If you are a digital creator on Facebook, it means that you are someone who creates digital content to share with and provide value to audiences. Digital creator accounts allow you to access features that make it easier to control your online presence, get a better understanding of your growth and visibility, and manage your messages from users, fans, and peers. You can switch your personal or business profile to a digital creator account by following the steps in this post from the Meta Business Help Centre.
What is Facebook marketplace?
One of our favorite peripherals is the Facebook marketplace, which is an integrated, virtual marketplace where you can browse, buy, and sell a variety of items. It works similarly to eBay, in the sense you can put pretty much anything up for sale, or even give it away for free. We’ve found some choice bargains over the years using marketplace, and if you’re a fan of upcycling or thrifting, you can do so all from the comfort of your phone without having to traipse through a load of different shops. It’s also great for small businesses, as they can sell items through page shops which helps them reach a wider audience.
To find out more about Facebook marketplace and how to make the most of it, check out the Meta Business Help Centre page.
And there you have it – our answer to the question ‘what is Facebook?’. If you’ve had enough of the big blue book, take a gander at our guide on how to delete Facebook accounts. Or, for more tech tips, take a look at our guides on how to delete apps on iPhone, how to perform an Android transfer to iPhone, or how to screenshot on Samsung.