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Custom Facebook Business Pages
Here’s a few of our client pages…

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Are you ready to bring your business into Facebook?

Websites and blogs are important but they don’t have social reach.

Question: When a potential customer leaves a comment or asks a question on your website, are all of their friends notified?
Of course not, but that’s exactly what happens on Facebook.  It’s that social reach ability that allows your interaction with a few to reach thousands of relevant people.


Why a Fan Page?

By the Numbers
Here’s 4 reasons why your business needs a FB page.

  • Pages allow a business to “Publish to the Stream” (this shows up on your fans homepage)
  • Pages allow a business to engage fans with Rich Media (video, pictures, events)
  • Pages let a business analyze how fans are interacting with the Insights Dashboard (deep analytics)
  • Pages let a business increase SEO (pages are indexed by search engines and show up in higher Google keyword searches)
 According to the latest stats from Facebook itself…

  • More than 350 million active users
  • 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day
  • More than 3.5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each week
  • More than 1.6 million active Pages on Facebook
  • More than 700,000 local businesses have active Pages on Facebook
  • Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans
  • Average user has 130 friends on the site
  • Average user spends more than 55 minutes per day on Facebook
  • Average user writes 25 comments on Facebook content each month
  • Average user becomes a fan of 2 Pages each month
  • More than 60 million Facebook users engage with Facebook Connect on external websites every month
  • There are more than 65 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices.
  • People that use Facebook on their mobile devices are almost 50% more active on Facebook than non-mobile user

Sold on Facebook Pages yet?

Good!  Now here’s 2 reasons why you need a Custom Facebook Fan Page.

Fan Conversion

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
When a visitor arrives at your Page you have just seconds to convert them to a Fan.

If they don’t push that Become a Fan button you’ve probably lost them forever.

If they do, they have just given you permission to market to them in Facebook.  The best way to do this is with a visually engaging Landing Tab.  No matter how they came to your page (via Google Search, or a Facebook Link) we can mandate they go to a particular tab first, our Custom Facebook Landing Tab!

 A Facebook Page is indexed by all the major search engines.It can have an actual PageRank. Links on the page are “Follow” links.

That’s why it’s also important to create a tab that is rich in your keywords and links.

This acts like a magnet attracting visitors from various search engines as well as providing valuable content.

I’ll build 2 Custom Facebook Tabs for your business page.

Tab 1 will be the graphical landing tab that every NON Fan will be directed to.
(example: http://www.facebook.com/gary)  This is built for Fan Engagement and Conversion.  Images in this tab are clickable hot links.  Have video?  Great!  I’ll embed it right on the page.

Tab 2 will consist of keyword rich content that also provides valuable information to your visitors.
We’ll try to bring in various aspects of your website as well (major menu items).
(example: http://www.facebook.com/miamism)  Have a series or collection of videos?  We can embed the entire collection in a cool app right in the Tab!

The cost? Just $400!

Each tab is easily customizable by you after it is built.  Have a graphic design you would like?  We’ll use it!

Are you ready to get started?

Good! It’s a three step process.

Agree to the T.O.S. below, fill out a quick form, and pay!

This may be the easiest terms of service you’ll ever agree to.
Heck, you may even read this it’s so simple.
(when was the last time you actually read the TOS?)

In hiring me to build custom tabs for your Facebook Business Page you agree to the following…

  1. The page is yours.  You own it.  You run it.  You maintain it.
  2. Any changes, issues, problems that Facebook may make or have in the future are between you and Facebook.
  3. All content in the Custom Tabs I build for you is your content but that content is not to be duplicated (cut and pasted) in any other Tabs outside of the Page you have hired me to build.  Example: You hire me to build a Custom Facebook Tab for your Page “Sunny Acres”.  You cannot then cut the code I’ve written for “Sunny Acres”, change the h1 title tag to “Happy Hills” and then paste it in a Tab for your other Page “Happy Hills”.  If you have several pages and want something done in bulk, let’s discuss it.
  4. I want a back link.  It’s not much.  I put it in grey text and it sits at the bottom of the page and looks just like this…

That’s it! My entire Terms of Service.  Now it’s up to you.


CHOOSE
CHOOSE
Do you choose the RED pill and agree to these outlandish terms, break free of the Matrix, and we can start building your Custom Facebook Page? Or do you choose the BLUE pill and the story ends –  you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe.

I AGREE I DON'T AGREE

Go ahead.  Click on the pill of your choice…

  • Facebook page creation must be booming.... First time I inquired the cost was $75 - then $275 and now $400.... Have I misunderstood something? Is the price now $400 .... Perhaps they are more robust ?

    Many thanks

    Heather
  • Heather - Good question. Yes I would have to say - looking back they are more robust. When I first started doing these each page would take me around two hours. I did a promo to get the ball going at $75. Then bumped to my regular at $225. There was a big difference in the creation process then and now. At that time I was asking my clients what to give me their vision, all their working links, their assets and content for what they wanted on their tab. We learned a couple of things. Most people didn't know what would work and what wouldn't in FBML. Most people wanted to rely on my expertise instead. In that early process I built some pretty dysfunctional pages based on the clients vision (no they are not in my gallery).

    Today, the form I ask my clients to fill out is 5 questions long, not 25. I've turned the table around. Give me a blog or website that you call homebase and I'll dissect it, examine everything and create something that best works in Facebook. With this new approach I believe the end product is stronger and better, the turn around time faster, and each tab is visually more engaging with stronger calls to action as well. Each Page now takes me 4 hours to build.

    There's another aspect to relying on someone who has extensive experience. There's a HUGE change coming to Facebook Pages that will effect every custom tab built. When Facebook makes that change, millions of custom tabs will be broken. Since the change was announced, I've been building pages in anticipation for the new specifications so that none of my clients tabs will be broken. Yet everyday I see new tabs built by others based on what will soon be obsolete specs. Either the custom builders don't know or they are intentionally building something to become obsolete in the very near future. I wouldn't expect my clients to know about the coming change, that's not their field of expertise.

    There are other options out there. I've seen a service for $50 that simply inserts your main contact information into a colorful image and creates a single tab. In my opinion there's no value there. I've also seen $5,000 solutions. Then there was a company called Sprout that was doing something cool for free, until they changed their structure. No longer free, it cost $3,000 a year in rent - you never owned your tab content. I wrote about it here: http://areweconnected.com/2010/03/sprout-facebo...
  • Well done Mike, this is a great breakdown of your service. I love your approach - lots to learn from re. engagement here!
  • Thanks Clement! I'm still not sure on the Matrix reference - worried too many people might not get it.
  • One of my pre-requisites that I stipulate to new clients is that they have watched the Matrix. I suggest you do the same - life is so much easier now because of that <
  • Mike.

    Interesting post.

    Can you share with me where you got the data on Fan Pages? I can't find a public source for this. I am preparing a keynote for a conference and will credit you info if you can provide a source.

    I'm working with a client that launching a social video app on Facebook that can let a Fan Page act as the broadcaster. Over 2000 businesses have adopted it in the early stage and it is something that might be of interest to your clients. Ping me if there is interest.

    My thinking on Facebook on my blog @ http://arnoldwaldstein.com

    Arnold
  • Arnold - absolutely! I referenced the source in the blog post here: http://areweconnected.com/2010/01/heres-14-reas... but to answer your question directly it's from Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
    One word of caution - they tend to update on an irregular basis, more like whenever they want to.

    Interesting on the video aspect. I just suggested that very item 2 weeks ago. I'm very interested in what you are working on!
  • Mike

    Thanks

    Two things:

    1. Fan page numbers are squishy...to the point of being questionable.

    Seems like it should be a simple answer-how many Fan Pages by country over time? I can't see this answer. Even a percent increase without baseline would show growth. Your opinion on this please.

    2. Email my your contact info @ arnold@waldstein.com and I will connect you to the client. Very cool stuff. Exploding.

    Thanks
  • I am TOTALLY LOVING your Cooliris wall and videos! How awesome are you!
  • Thank you! I'm loving being able to play with CoolIris in so many ways. Video, Flickr Sets, virtually most anything! : )
  • erichempler
    I just started working as a Realtor in the Twin Cities and was wondering if this is a good product to use this early in my career.
  • erichempler
    Is this recommened for people just starting out as well? The reason I ask is I may not completely know what I want to put up. I just started working as a Realtor in the Twin Cities.
  • loren97448
    Mike, I think I may be screwing up this process. I am setting up a clients FB account, but set up the business as the "personal" site first. He had no real presence yet. In creating the business page, we have folks signing up as friends on the personal site, but not going to the business "fan" site. How do we start over...
  • Yes, I will want to do this soon as I can afford the cost and my own website too. Sincerely, Saundra Allman, DRE #01188528, Eureka-Humboldt County
  • #jckc Mike, you are doing some great work. I have recommended you to several people. You are THE GoToGuy for FaceBook Business Pages...
  • Mike hook me up with a business page #jckc. I am new to this facebook and socialmedia marketing. My niche is Short Sales and Distress properties.
    tweet me @durrellT
  • RochesterREguy
    Hoping to win the drawing for a free Facebook fan(business) page. #jckc @RochesterREguy
  • I would LOVE to have a free page...can't wait!!!
  • Would love to win a custom business Facebook page, Mike. Ah, but Ive never won anything. Well...
    maybe tomorrow will be my lucky day! Here's hopin' #jckc :-)
    Cheers! Robin
  • Robin - there's always tomorrow!
    Good Luck
    : )
  • Mike I am totally lost with this facebook thing I have a page but am lost as to what to do with it:( lets talk on facebook I am there almost all day long:)
    Chris
  • Giving away a Custom Facebook Business Page on tomorrows show. http://budurl.com/jckc to win - leave a comment here with #jckc in the body.
  • lizloadholt
    Mike, Looking forward to finishing up our page --- I have several questions --- what is the best way to communicate with you?
  • lizloadholt
    Great information on this post --- thank, Mike.
  • I'm puzzled. Are they "fan" pages or "business page?" Your narrative seems to say both.
    Why are you charging? For design? Do you somehow broker the sites "names" or handle the administration of set-up?
    Isn't his something I just do myself on Facebook?
    Facebook tlaks aobut business pages, but they have very arcane language in there about how the pages have a lot of restrictions.

    Thanks or any help.
  • Paul - a Fan Page is a Business Page, they are one and the same. The Fan Page sounds wrong on so many levels but it's just the name, get beyond the label and there's so much value in a Page.
    I'm building custom designed pages. No brokering, you own the page.
    Can you do it yourself? YES! Absolutely and for free. Unfortunately you'll end up with the same tabs everyone else has with no real content.
    I earn my fee from the custom FBML coding done to create that real content.
    For more information see: http://areweconnected.com/facebook
  • You can Jeremy Blanton (@myrtlebeachblog) to the list - go Fan him up!
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeremy-Blanton-Co...
  • great info! thanks for sharing! see ya on twitter and AR!
  • Mike I have a Facebook Business Page - Charleston SC Real Estate - but no custom URL.... I created my page before 05/31/2009...

    What do you charge to format an existing page and set up the custom URL...?

    Many thanks ..... Heather Lord.... hlord@HeatherLord.com .....
  • Terrific content! Thanks for posting this. WE can all use a little help when it comes to social media.
    Debbie Fiskum, The Home Decor Genie!
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