Offer Custom Facebook Pages?

I saw this earlier today. Business pages are going to Timeline by March 30th. Not sure what those who focus solely on facebook fanpages are going to do. That's why you can't base your business on one thing.

It's unfortunate really because now business pages are going to look just like personal pages. It makes it difficult to stand out from the crowd.

Sean

It certainly changes the game a bit... no default landing page... but you do have the ability to highlight a post at the top of the thread and you can customize the Apps you put along the top with the APP icon being a message of some sort!

Actually the tabs are still there and will continue being there. What they have done are some great improvements. You will no longer have to try to design within 520px but have 760px of space for your custom tabs. What has been eliminated is the selecting your default landing tab. Of course this will only matter if your fans go to your fan pages by using Facebook to do so. This shouldn't be a marketers solution though. You should be using custom links to get people to your fan pages. I created a custom redirect site over a year ago for all my fan page links. It allows you to send them whereever you want on your fan page and isn't affected by changes at Facebook.

Now that tabs are really going to be seperate from your page rather than inside it, you should plan to create a custom linking setup within your custom tabs. This will allow them to link from custom tab to custom tab. I wouldn't rely on Facebook's new system of those little picuture icons. It really sucks as it doesn't give any indication of your tab. It uses the pictures that we used for logos for our apps. Doesn't mean a thing for your clients fan pages.

It will take a learning curve, and yes there will be WSO's like every time there is a change. If you want to take the time to have to learn it on your own be my guest or you can learn from someone else's efforts.

Well here is to a brave new world.

Martin Blakley

The custom pages are still there. Not sure if a fangate still works or not. But our coupon page is there just changed how you get to it.

That's weird my reply didn't go thru.

The custom tabs are still there. Not sure if Fangates still work but the custom tabs show up in the area by photos and such and you can change the order of those boxes.

The custom tabs haven't now nor will they be removed. You just no longer have the ability to select a landing tab on fan pages. Of course, these changes bring with them new opportunities with a tab width change from 520px to 760px. With the tabs actually displaying seperate from the fan pages you can now create a custom linking system in each tab that will allow you to link from one custom tab to another.

Of course, for all those who have been in the business of creating custom tabs for their clients it is going to be a nightmare. They will have to update all their tab applications and update all the tabs for the custom tabs they created in the past. All this while trying to explain to their current clients why they have to pay more for these updates

I'm sure there will be plenty of WSO's and multi hundred dollar promotions coming. Another big sinkhole. But what other choice will we have other than to dig in and figure it all out for ourselves.

Welcome to another Facebook brave new world. I just hope that Facebook doesn't have a pay to play model coming down the road for Fan Pages. That would really be a game eliminator.

Martin Blakley

FB Fanpage is an upsell at best. You cant base your business on it.

Like Gates still work they just aren't autoreloaded by Facebook so the image doesn't change without a page refresh. It will require coming up with a way to create the like button within tab that make the like while also reloading the tab content. I'm sure that right now this is just a facebook bug that will get worked out over time with the launch. There are always these issues with bugs during changes.

Martin Blakley

If you follow the logic of Facebook's moves on this you can see the demise of the Fan Page tab. Eliminate fbml so it won't be so easy to use and so they don't have to carry the load for your tabs. Iframes give you even more leeway to be creative and effective including landing pages. Facebook eliminates the default tab, it is not in their model to provide you with free effective internet space for your business.

The most obvious reason for the Death of The Custom Tab. Everyone is going mobile and custom tabs don't work on mobile devices. Eliminate them everywhere and they don't have to figure out how to make them work on mobile.

Of course this will eventually result in the demise of the Fan Page itself. Have you seen what businesses trying to be social really looks like. Come in tonight and get 50% off your order. Big Bubba Teeth Grin

Worse yet, I created my fan page 2 years ago and it ain't done nothing for my business. Look at the page and they haven't written a thing on it for 2 years or managed it. It has become a big opportunity, cialis, etc spam site and I'm talking major chain brand here.

Rest my case.

Martin Blakley

Man, we've been literally KILLLLLLLLLLING it with facebook. It was our foot in the door marketing to upsell/cross-sell websites and seo to clients. We sold facebook fan page to build trust and relationship because once you satisfy them, you're the GO TO GUY.

We even created a landing page to run and just before we launched it, there goes the change. Just yesterday we had 2 people interested in our fan page. =( haha

http://philadelphiaseo.org/samples/F...ndingPage2.jpg

All jokes aside, I got with the team yesterday and said instead of complaining about the change, let's come up with a solution and be the authority/go-to-guy within a month and REALLLLLY STAND OUT. This is what separates the men from the boys. We turn **** into gold! =)

And guys, who cares about a wso on the change? how much more can this guy know about the change? haha seriously... we all have the same opportunity and time to figure this out. There's money to be made when people are cry. =D

Great "how-to" link...

The Complete Guide to Setting Up the New Facebook Page Design

I believe that the Cover Photo area has great potential for Businesses.

There's a nice big area at the Top of the Timeline, for Branding and Advertising.