How many Facebook fanpages should my brand have?

A recurring question Sherpa! gets from clients is how to best present their brand on Facebook when they have multiple subbrands. For example -- should they have a regional brand and global brand, or should they highlight one well-known product individually or group all the products together?

Most recently, we had Buckhead Life Restaurant Group seek our advice on whether they should create fanpages for each restaurant, or just one for the group company.

Our final suggestion was consider the brand from the eyes of the consumer.
Are they a fan of Buckhead Life, or are they a fan of a particular restaurant like Nava? Do they "like" Kyma, or do they "like" Buckhead Life? What is a fan seeking when they "like" a page -- content about similar restaurants, notice of specials and events, or just the ability to "identify" with that brand or restaurant?

In the end, there isn't a "best practice" to answer this question. Some (pro-global) could argue that placing individual restaurant fanpages will fragmentize the larger global brand. Others (pro-regional) coud argue that individuals are "fans" of a specific restaurant and not all of them.

In the end, there are three types of Facebook Fans.

1. enthusiast: a person who wants the Facebook equivalent of a “bumper sticker” on their profile (85-90%)
2. advocate: a person that onsumes the content and post messages on the wall, provide feedback on message boards and comment on content (5-10%)
3. influencer: original content creation (1%)

The goal, of course, is to have as many influencers -- people creating and building a thriving community based around your brand with their own original content. The problem is that most companies, or rather the marketing department, corner themselves into being the sole influencer.

As a result, users don't add original content -- photos of celebrities seen at the restaurant, reviews of restaurant experiences, etc. The fanpage becomes another place to market things and events, rather than a place to listen and communicate. A successful fanpage is a place where enthusiasts, advocates, and influences can celebrate the brand. It is not a "conquest" place, or a place to get them into a restaurant because they heard of an event for a similar restaurant.