Facebook Rolling Out Usernames This Weekend

I’m sure you’ve seen the notice at the top of your Facebook account, but beginning this weekend you’ll be able to choose a username. Similar to MySpace, the ability to have your own unique username will make sharing the address of your Facebook profile easier with others.

On Saturday, June 13 at 12:01 a.m. ET, you will have to be quick in making sure your preferred name isn’t snatched up by someone else — especially if you have a common name.

From the Facebook blog:

Your new Facebook URL is like your personal destination, or home, on the Web. People can enter a Facebook username as a search term on Facebook or a popular search engine like Google, for example, which will make it much easier for people to find friends with common names. Your username will have the same privacy setting as your profile name in Search, and you can always edit your search privacy settings.

Think carefully about the username you choose. Once it’s been selected, you won’t be able to change or transfer it. If you signed up for a Facebook Page after May 31 or a user profile after today at 3 p.m. EDT, you may not be able to sign up for a username immediately because of steps we’ve taken to prevent abuse or “squatting” on names.

If you’re working toward a personal brand, or have a Facebook profile specifically for your business, this new feature to have your own URL is very positive. With your own username, you can easily link to your profile, or even print it on your business cards to hand out at conferences, meetings, etc.

Think carefully about what your username will be, because as mentioned above, it’s forever. If you want a specific name and you think someone else might get it, make sure you’re at your computer the second they become available on Saturday morning. Although I’m sure people have more important things to do than worry about getting a Facebook name.

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