Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press, Via Associated Press
Facebook is the worlds biggest website and has even surpassed Google in the number of searches.
In fact, the competition between Facebook and Google continues. Google continues to develop and enhance its search engine algo rhythms, and Facebook continues to modify how people interact, thus eliminating the need for search engines, or at least that is the goal. Earlier this month Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, introduced a new addition to Facebook called “Facebook Messages”. This new application is a new unified messaging system that allows people to communicate with each other on the internet and on mobile phones, whether they are using e-mail, text messages or online chat services.
As Facebook exerts it self muscle more on the internet, it becomes more significant for bloggers that want to have a presence online to secure a Facebook fanpage. In a news story tonight on Nightly News with Brian Williams, Tom Brokaw in an interview with Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg reveals that the newest, and most powerful demographic on Facebook today are the middle aged. According Sandberg, the reason for this new shift is that as people age, they have more people to stay in touch with each, but less time with which to do it. Facebook has grown to become the new age meeting place and is setting the trend for the way people connect. In fact, Facebook has already created the new mode for social interactions. Facebook is no longer a child’s place, but a serious business platform.
With 500 million users around the world, Facebook is an ideal place for bloggers and other online businesses to get exposure.
Of course, on Facebook the name of the game is “friends”. Whereas once the online mantra was “the money is in the list” we may soon be saying the money is in your fanpage.
People have developed creative ways with which to use the Facebook Fanpages, and whole new companies have even emerged specifically to design your fanpage. However, if you have an inkling for html, you can design a very effective fanpage yourself.
One way that small businesses can use the Facebook fanpage is to capture user names and email to build a “list”.
The most powerful thing in Facebook is a tiny little icon with one word on it, “like”. There are very creative ways to compel users to both, “like” your fanpage and give you there name and email. And that is via Facebook’s applications. Creating an new language called FBML or Facebook Markup Language, which is identical to html but for Facebook Fanpages, one can create dazzling pages on Facebook. There even are tutorials available that teach you how to create compelling, Fanpages complete with video and optin forms.
Search and you can even find free video tutorials. I found one by a woman named Jo Barnes, of Free Fanpage Templates that took me step by step in developing a Fanpage with an optin form and a beautiful side banner. Click here for a look at my fanpage. But if you are not the technical type, for a small fee you can have one of these new fanpage companies design and implement a new Fanpage for you. Whichever route you decide to take, so long as you take one, will prove to be very beneficial to your blog and/or business. Facebook is the way to get new readers, subscribers and/or customers, and it all starts with a fanpage. By the way, securing your fanpage name is just as important, if not more important, than registering a domain. So if you have not yet locked in your fanpage name you better hurry while Fanpages are still new. For as the concept takes on more, it will be impossible to get the name you want.
Act now, because it is better to have a Fanpage and not need it than to need a Fanpage and not have it. Facebook, the wave of the future, now.
Twitter: barbaraling
says:
Facebook Fanpages are definitely critical; they’re easy to make, basic-wise, and you can use TwitterFeed to keep it populated to boot. Mine is at http://www.facebook.com/UnleashedInnerExpert – almost all of the updates are automatic.
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach´s recent blog post ..Determine your MOST PROFITABLE product to promote for the holidays – Day 3 of Day 25
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Thanks for your comment Barbara, it true you can add Twitter to populate your fanpage, and if you download the wp-fb-comment plugin you can have your blog comments on your fanpage as well.
Twitter: contoh.skripsigmail.com
says:
Wow, it’s a great post. Now, I’m learning how to create a fan page that make our product bigger in market. Could you help me to give a link (website) that i should read, to make me easier to create the best fan page.
Tks.
Contoh Skripsi´s recent blog post ..Pemenang 10 Kaos Blogdetik
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Hi Contoh Skripsi
A very good free video series is provided by the young lady I referred to in my article, Jo Barnes, here is the link to the videos http://www.freefanpagetemplates.com/freevideo1.html
I hope they help you like they helped me.
~ Gilberto
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..Do Give Away Events Work
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Having a Facebook Fan Page is one of those things you need to have when building the right foundations for your blogging business. Every website I start has its own Facebook and Twitter account as it is part of the branding.
Mitz Pantic´s recent blog post ..How Did I Increase Adsense Earnings By 500
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Thanks Mitz, It’s true. And anyone not incorporating Facebook, with its 500 million+ global users, into their marketing strategy is really missing a golden opportunity.
~ Gilberto
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..A winner never quits and a quitter never wins
The tricky thing with Facebook Fan Pages is just getting some momentum in terms of Fans or Likes as they’re now officially called. I was leery of putting the Fan Box widget on my blog because it loads so slow, but it’s been the most effective way I’ve found of increasing the fan count.
Jarret´s recent blog post ..10 Benefits of Epsom Salt
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Thanks Jarret, Facebook is definitely an essential tool. It is no longer a place for college and high school kids to hangout. Create a fanpage for your blog and using the applications feature on facebook, found in the developers section, add it to your blog and all your blog post will appear on your fanpage wall. I am actually working on that myself right now.
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..Do Give Away Events Work
I think you’re probably right about creating a fanpage – it’s either create it and not need it, or miss out on what could be a very helpful opportunity. I’ll be honest: it’s a great logic, but I’m not entirely sold on it. After all, 99% of online activities geared for promotion are “this might help, but more than likely won’t.”
I’ve been blogging for 5 years. I was hoping sometime around year 3 people who liked my blog might do a little something to promote it or create community around it. Looks like I’ll have to take the initiative in that department.
ashok´s recent blog post ..Xenophon- “Spartan Constitution”
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Hi ashok, don’t you think it’s always our initiative that makes or breaks us? Tools are just that, an apparatus to help us accomplish something. Just tonight (Sunday 12/05/2010) on the 60 minutes News Program Mark Zuckerberg announced a new “face lift” for Facebook that will be noticeable tomorrow. It has to do with the way our profiles will be orgainized.
You speak about 5 years ago, man, in internet time that is a lifetime ago. Change is a coming, and the Fanpage will become more important in the very near future for us a bloggers, as well as for those doing ecommerce.
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..Do Give Away Events Work
Twitter: amvdl1966
says:
Hi Gilberto.
Thanks for helping me decide on the issue of fanpages.
I never thought it make a differance, but I guess I was wrong.
Going over to FB now to create a page for my business.
Abraham van der Linde´s recent blog post ..Spying on your visitors
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Hi Abraham, there are some good resources available. Most cost money. See the free video from Jo Barnes. I posted the link in the article on in a comment above.
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..A winner never quits and a quitter never wins
Twitter: BloggerCodeDish
says:
I have a FB Fanpage and for awhile i’ve looking for ways to customize and relate the design to my blog in some way. I hope this works.
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Hi Jaleesa,
You can actually connect your blog to your fanpage with a Facebook application, it’s free. Just look in the developers pages.
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..A winner never quits and a quitter never wins
Twitter: estavamorioka
says:
Hi, I’ve had a fan page for a few weeks, please take a look when you get a chance http://www.facebook.com/EstavaMorioka
For the most part I was posting updates on right on the page but now I found out that I can use Amplify to share posts on Twitter, Facebook, Ping and just about everywhere else.
This really helps save time too.
Estava Morioka´s recent blog post ..How to Dress for a Sporting Event and Still be a Lady
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Thanks for your comment Estava. Hooking up your fanpage with Twitter is one way to go, it just depends on what is your intended out come.
~ Gil
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..A winner never quits and a quitter never wins
Twitter: phitzone
says:
I couldn’t agree more. Having a FB fan page is as crucial as your site/blog. Even local businesses need to have a FP.
I found that hooking it up to Twitter caused too many updates (I use Twitter a lot). Instead, I found that connecting to our RSS feed adds a good stream of updates. On top of this, we post ideas and specials that are unique to our fans, just like we do for our email list.
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Tood, I don’t know if you use WordPress as your blog platform, but if you do there is a FB-WP plugin that allows your comments to appear on your fanpage. This is a good tool for bloggers, and/or businesses trying to reach a broader audience.
~ Gil
That’s great stuff Gilberto! I’ve been meaning to make a fanpage for my chiropractic practice and blog but have been waiting to get my sites redone and to finish an e-book. But I should just do them so no one steals them.
Thank you!
Christopher´s recent blog post ..Thought Farming- Planting the Seeds of Your Life
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
You are welcome Christopher. Yes it is a good idea to at least create a simple one which can be “beautified” later. The thing is to get your customized fanpage name you will need to acquire 25 fans to that page. Until you have 25 fans your fanpage url with look something like this
http://www.facebook.com/pages/humble-observer/233111157849115?v=app_6749752878&ref=gsf
This is fantastic, a great way to build a list and get some exposure to your products. Thanks for this.
igoydude´s recent blog post ..GSP VS KOSCHECK
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
@igoydude, take a look at my new fanpage for an idea of just it is you can do with Facebook Fan pages. The Money Is In Your Fanpage
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..My New Facebook Fanpage
Oh my Lawd! I think I’m the only person on the planet who hasn’t signed up for facebook yet. Been too concerned about the “security this and security that” issues. It’s a fine balance between “nothing ventured, nothing gained” and just using common sense. Knowledge IS power; no doubt about it. Thank you for a great post that helped me get a different perspective and to try something new. Much obliged!
Blessings!
mjmac´s recent blog post ..Hosea 13-14
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
@mjmac Don’t feel to bad, the media has a tendency to make things seem worse than they really are. We probably need to consider ourselves more about Google than we do Facebook when it comes to security issues, but most of us don’t. Anyway, thanks for your post mjmac, you really made my day. The ultimate compliment when one helps another see the light so to speak. Glad you are now open to at least “try something new”
Thanks for asking god to bestow blessings upon me, may god bless you to.
~ Gil
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..My New Facebook Fanpage
For some of my sites I use facebook fan pages, those are generally the ones that are more blog based and have an open dialogue with other bloggers and readers, but for some of my niche sites I’m not sure if a fan page would be best. Do you think all sites should utilize fan pages?
Ryan the External Hard Drive Guy´s recent blog post ..How Much Media Can I Fit in a 1 Terabyte External Hard Drive
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for your comments and question, “Do you think all sites should utilize fan pages?”
That’s your call. But from what I have been reading, it could not hurt having a page for each of your niche sites. Having a page (aka fan page) is advantageous in that you can send notices to your “fan base” when ever you have an up date, or new product. Since FB is about socializing hard selling does not work, but a soft sales approach does. This means engaging them. Additionally there are tools like Notes and contest and so many other ways to keep people engaged that your product, blog, site or brand will be top of mind, or at least top of there walls.
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..Is Facebook poised to become the worlds marketplace
Facebook pages are a great way get the news out about your latest blog postings. Plus most of my friends use it so.
Gabriel709´s recent blog post ..New Music Video – Bring The Ruckus
Twitter: gilbertocintron
says:
Thanks Gabriel709,
Yes FB is a great way to spread the news about your latest blogs, products, services. The fact that all your friends are on it is an indicator of how popular your post will be. If your friends are your fans, than everyone associated with them will see your posts as well.
gilbertocintron´s recent blog post ..Four out of ten of the most-searched terms of 2010 included the word facebook