Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

3 Quick and Easy Apps for Creating a Facebook Fan Page

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 03:36 AM PST

Building an interactive, unique Facebook Fan Page for your blog or business is a great way to attract and communicate with customers. This piece of branding is becoming an essential element for most business, organizations, and even television shows.

Facebook fan pages are easier to set up than they look. Sure, the more advanced pages feature CSS style sheets and custom FBML (Facebook Markup Language) designs… but even with no knowledge of Web programming whatsoever, with a few third-party apps, anyone can build a functioning fan page.

1. RSS Graffiti

Streamlining your promotion efforts is essential to maintaining sanity in the social networking world. If you are using an RSS feed on your main Web page already, then syncing your posts there with your Facebook fan page is a breeze with RSS Graffiti.

RSS Graffiti is like the content fairy godmother. You can literally set it up, then forget about it, with the assurance that anything you post in your usual places will duplicate effortlessly on Facebook.

In all fairness, there are several apps out there that can sync RSS feeds with fan pages. However, RSS Graffiti has one of the highest consumer review ratings on Facebook, and for good reason: it can sync virtually any thing with your fan page's wall, from YouTube to Twitter.

2. PDF for Pages

If you have no Web programming knowledge at all, but can use a word processing program, PDF for Pages offers an easy solution for creating custom content for your fan page.

With PDF to Pages, any document saved as a PDF turns into its own tab on your fan page. Since Word 2007 and 2010 both offer a built-in PDF tool in the save as menu, so long as you can build a basic flyer, you can create a decent looking fan page.

3. Poll

To keep fans, you must not only keep them informed, but also engaged. Polls and surveys not only engage fans, but offer valuable feedback, too.

One of the best poll apps for Facebook fan pages is simply called Poll. Once installed, you can ask you fans anything, with statistics instantly tabulated. Considering the amount of surveys like Which Dead Person Were You that continuously decorate our friend's walls, polls are a fairly sure and easy way to interest followers

Of course, there are Facebook fan page apps for nearly every purpose. Besides these apps, try looking at app developers like Involver. Be careful not to go app crazy—only six tabs appear on the fan page, regardless of how many you create. Most fans will not bother to click the dropdown menu to access extra tabs.