When A Welcome Tab Isn’t Enough: Use Custom Facebook Tabs To Give Fans More

When it comes to custom landing tabs, all the big brands have them, all little businesses want them, but just how effective are they in engaging your Facebook Page’s following?

Since landing tabs primarily target those who don’t already “Like” your Page, what’s in it for your fans, and are your fans even aware of the stuff you’ve got tucked away in your sidebar?

Creating a worthwhile Facebook tab is an art, and using it effectively, both before and after a visitor has Liked your Page, can be a challenge. In the first installment of this two-part series, you will receive some tips on how to make your tabs more interactive.

Make It Interactive

Take a cue from the video game world, and design your tab so it provokes interaction. What does this mean exactly? Don’t imitate your website with static text and images; you’re on Facebook after all! Being social means fostering participation and engaging with media, so try adding a few tricks to your custom tabs.

Video

Video can be fun, engaging, and effective; for many, watching a quick 60-second video is a more attractive option than reading an entire blog post. Video can create more opportunities for your fans to share your content too. Video, along with links and images, is one of the most popular forms of media shared across Facebook

 

This tab features video, a sign-up form and a PDF download (This tab was created using ShortStack)

 

Polls Surveys

People love to give their opinion! Present your fans with a poll, and give them an easy way to share their opinions with your brand. Don’t forget to make your fans feel like they have been heard — make use of the poll or survey data you’ve received and put good ideas into action.

Photo Product Galleries

While static images have their place, if you’re trying to show off your summer product line, or display the pictures from last week’s company outing, photo and product galleries are definitely the way to go.

In the 520px world, conserving space and preventing the “forever-scroll” is key, so watch the height of your content. By including a lightbox feature or slideshow-scroller in your gallery, you’ll better engage with your visitors by giving them content right up front with an active way to see more.

Virtual Gifts

Virtual gifting is hugely popular among Facebook users, and the best way to have success with a virtual gift is to create something that’s both unique and matches your fans’ interests (humor never hurts either).

By offering your fans something specifically designed to be sent to their friends, your fans will be doing your job for you by exposing their friends to your business’s Page.

 

This tab allows users to select a virtual gift to send to a friend (This tab was created by Likeable Media using ShortStack)

Quizzes

Check out any newsstand and you’ll see a plethora of magazines featuring a quiz (What kind of boyfriend ARE you, anyway?). Silly, sure, but they exist for a reason — people love to learn about themselves and test their knowledge, especially if the topic speaks to them.

Try working a quiz into your Facebook tab, or ask your fans a trivia question every week on your wall.

Contests Promotions

If you really want to jumpstart activity on Facebook, a properly run contest or promotion can boost interaction like nothing else. There are many ways to go about introducing a contest, so this will be discussed more thoroughly in part two of this series.

Integrated Facebook Functionality

Always integrate core Facebook functionality into your tab by adding the ability to “Share”, “Comment” and “Invite Friends” throughout. It’s what Facebook is all about. Social media is supposed to be social, so allow your visitors to share your content on their own walls. You’ll reach beyond your fan base and expose your brand to users who might not otherwise hear about your brand.

Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are a number of third-party tools out there, and by using an iframe application built on the Facebook Platform, the sky really is the limit, so get creative!

Next month, we’ll dive deeper into contests and promotions, as well as the value Facebook-only content.

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

Related Topics: Facebook | How To: Facebook | How To: Social Media Marketing | Let’s Get Social | Social Media Marketing

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