How to Create an Informative and Attractive Facebook Fan Page, Part II – Custom Tabs
In Part One of this series, we looked at the basics the beginning Facebook user needs to know to create a fan page. Here we discuss creating custom tabs for your unique content.
Once you have the hang of utilizing Facebook for promoting your business, services, or products, you may wish to invest some time in browsing similar fan pages for ideas to bring in more fans. With the thousands of pages available on the social network, you have the challenge of creating an appealing base that compels Facebook users to click that Become a Fan button and stay updated on your news and events. As you look at the work of others, you are certain to notice how some companies have managed to place custom tabs with unique content on their business profiles. Can you do the same? Absolutely!
It doesn’t take a coding wizard to set up special tabs for your content. All you need to know is a bit of HTML and invest the time to make your tab look great.
Creating a Custom Tab for a Facebook Page
In order to set up the tab you want, you must first add an application to your Facebook page functionality that allows you to use FBML, or Facebook Markup Language. Similar to HTML, FBML is proprietary to Facebook and will let you add original content to pages, just as you would to a regular webpage. The most common application for this purpose is called Static FBML, which is easily found in Facebook search.
Once on the application page, click the “Add to My Page” option underneath the profile icon, and a pop-up window will appear. Choose the page to which you want to add this functionality, then go to that page to edit.
In the edit dashboard, the Static FBML will appear as an option to manipulate. Click Edit to be taken to a text box, where you will add the tab’s name and content. The FBML box is where you will put your HTML code.
What can go here? For now, simplified HTML code for images and anchor text are acceptable, as are tables. More advanced code like Javascript and image mapping will not show. If you wish to display photos, make sure they are available on your server, and that all links included work. If you have an image built as a clickable map, it will be necessary to slice the graphic into separate files to accommodate the multiple links.
When you have saved the changes on your custom tab, go to your fan page and click the plus sign on your tab bar. Your custom tab should show as an option, and you can click it to bring it up to the tab bar. If you wish for your custom page to be the first thing new arrivals see, go to the edit dashboard of your page and click Wall Settings. There you can set your FBML tab as the default landing page for first-time visitors.
For the intermediary Facebook user, custom tabs are a great way to introduce your main site’s style and your business to people first learning about you via Facebook. With a bit of HTML knowledge, you can turn your fan page not only into a base for feedback but a starting point that clicks through to your main site and increases conversions.
Kathryn Lively is a Virginia Beach social media specialist assisting clients with social media writing and Virginia web design. Clients include Gainesville hotels, Matrix Energetics counselors, and mystery authors.
Social Media | admin February 5, 2010
