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 giant is still showing the new kids on the block how it's done, and Facebook remains a great way to stay connected to old friends, family, and those random girls you met in a club bathroom during your hedonistic university days. You can post a status in much the same way as you could way back in the early-2000s, and you can also upload a wealth of pictures and videos so your pals can keep up to date with what's going on in your life. Facebook has essentially everything you need to keep you in the online loop, all in one place.
You can check your Facebook fairly easily, no matter where you are or what you're doing. As long as you've got an internet connection and a device with the app installed, you can log in to your Facebook account and post a status, check your purchases on marketplace, or flick through some reels wherever you are on the go.
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 the newer, but undoubtably handy peripherals that this gigantic social media platform has to offer is Facebook marketplace, which is a fully integrated, virtual marketplace where you can browse, buy, and sell a variety of items. If you're familiar with eBay, then marketplace works in much the same way in the sense you can find almost anything on there. One of the best features is searching through the 'free' tab, because you can find a whole bunch of things that won't cost you a penny. One man's trash, and all that. Marketplace is also awesome for small businesses, because they can set up shop to reach a far wider audience than before.
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.