You’ve seen one fan page, you’ve seen them all – right?
Wrong.
Facebook Fan pages can be customized to give your fans (and not yet fans) an experience that is unique to your business and style.
First step is to give fans and not yet fans two seperate landing pages on your Fan Page.
Go to your page, click on settings (just under the “What’s on your mind?” box)
Set your default view to “Posts by Page and Fans” – this lets people see who you are conversing with.
Then select a page that will be informative for your “Default Landing Tab for Everyone Else:” drop down. I used the “Static FBML” application to create a Welcome Page for people who are not yet fans and direct newcomers to this page. I ask them to join in the conversation by becoming a fan. Soon – I will be using the same application for Fan Only offerings.
I also use the Events app to announce seminars and trainings, the video application to show recorded seminars, the photo application for the portfolio, and the Discussion Board to encourage conversation. I also use the Profile HTML for my Opt in List (see How to use Profile HTML).
Facebook offers the opportunity to customize your visitors experience – take advantage of that by branding yourself and encouraging new people to join in on the fun!
What applications have you found useful on your fan page?
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Great idea Melissa. I like it. I’m doing this on all the Pages I’ve created.
What is surprising is just how few custom fan pages there are out there. The functionality has been out since mid Feb with the brand page redesign, yet only a handful of brands are really using the custom tab/entry page feature.
Some ones to check out include Pizza Hut, Miracle Whip (no really), REI – remember you can’t be a fan to see the default pages…
My online marketing company is now offering custom facebook page development – using Flash or FBML. Working on our first right now…
http://www.propellermediaworks.com/services/custom-facebook-pages
Welcome the feedback.
I’m on a search to find a solution for a client… Have you all run into a situation where the page has the default landing tab set to something else, but non-fans have to sign into Facebook to view?
I have several clients where this is not the case, and my understanding is that you can in fact view without signing in. But my client’s page requires a signin…
Any ideas?
Kathy – the issue isn’t with the pages it’s with the Company.to links. Use the actual facbook URL and you are fine
Thanks Melissa… I have tried that too though and it still makes me sign in. Once I sign in I go directly to her welcome page…I will keep searching. Thanks for your time and help.
Great post. I just recently had a client ask me to create a custom Fan Page on Facebook and I never have done it before but said I would figure it out. This post really helped and the final product (http://www.facebook.com/cherylburkedancestudios) gave me a new idea of offering this service in my company at a fraction of the price all others are doing it. I think these new “Facebook Websites” could be a great way for business owners to stand out on Facebook. It is also a good way to look different if you are using it for personal reason.
Thank you author
Jarrett Gucci
Hi Melissa. Thanks for the great articles on your site. I’m surprised that you don’t use seo friendly urls. Do you have a reason not to? Again thanks for the excellent information.
Hi Kevin – and thank you! The short ans. is I am being lazy. My other set of servers allows the WP blogs to change permalinks on the fly, the one this site is sitting on doesn’t and I don’t feel like editing…. Also – I have so many link backs out there, I’d have to set up a 404… again – just being lazy. My site is like the shoe makers kids – their shoes always have holes in them.