In this series on How to Set Up a Facebook Fan Page for Real Estate Associations, Brokerages and Agents, we will discuss the basics on how to set up a Facebook Fan Page. Here are the topics in this series:
- How to Set-Up a Basic Facebook Page
- How to Create Customized Tabs for Facebook Fan Page
- HTML/FBML Code, Cheap Tricks and Short Cuts, and Other Design Ideas
- Strategies for Using Facebook Fan Page to Market and Sell Real Estate
Step 1 - Go to Facebook Home Page. Scroll down to the bottom and click on "Advertising." On the Advertising Page, click on "Create Pages".
Step 2 - Select the appropriate page type. The choices are local, brand/product/organization or artist/band/public figure. The initial choice is important because it will impact what info is displayed on the Info Tab of your Facebook Fan Page.
Here is the information contained in the Local Info Tab:
Here is the information contained in the Brand/Product/Organization Tab:
Here is the information contained in the Artist/Bank/Public Figure Tab:
Step 3 - Enter the name of your Fan Page including the company name and clever business tagline.
Step 4 - After entering your Fan Page name and clicking enter, you will then be taken to Fan Page site. Click on the photo box identified by the "?" and upload a photograph. Using graphics that will stand out as a thumbnail is preferred.
Step 5 - Click on the "Info" tab and enter the appropriate information. Don't limit yourself to the description used by Facebook. Expand the "Info" information to reflect your business, practice areas, geographic service areas, etc.
Step 6 - Click on "Write Something about..." on the left column of your Facebook Fan Page. Add a description of your business or service with a clever business tagline.
Step 7 - Plan out your tabs. Basic Facebook Fan Pages have a total of six tabs with two of the six tabs fixed and universal to all Facebook Fan Pages - the "Wall" and "info" tabs. Although only six tabs appear across the top of the Facebook Fan Page, additional tabs can be accessed by clicking on the "+" Tab. However, consumers and fans using your Facebook Fan Page may not realize that you have additional content so the most important content should be included in one of the six tabs.
Step 8 - Organize your tabs. Click on "Edit Page". In the second section of the Fan Page edit page, you will see a series of boxes with your pre-set Facebook Applications, including Discussion Boards, Events, Links, Notes, Photos and Videos. Set where the application appears on your Facebook Fan Page - either "box" or "tab" - by clicking on "Application Settings" and then specifying "Tab" or "Box" by clicking on "Available" to change it to added and vice versa. It is possible to include an application on your Facebook Fan Page as both a "Tab" and as a "Box".
Step 9 - Click on "Add More Applications." On the Applications Page, click on "Pages". Some good applications are:
- My Office - Collaboration tool good for non-profit organizations.
- Social RSS - Use for Blog and Other RSS feeds.
- Slideshare - Display your Powerpoint and other presentations.
Repeat Step 8 to set where these applications will appear on your Facebook Fan Page.
Step 10 - Click on "Edit Page" and Click on Edit Settings to set your country restrictions, your age restrictions, and to publish the Fan Page.
Step 11 - Click on "Wall Settings". First, set the default view for the wall. Your choice is "Posts by Page" or "Posts by Page and Wall." This selection will determine whether your wall is interactive or is outgoing message only. For social network sites, more interaction is preferred so select "Posts by Page and Wall". Second, Second, set the default landing tab. Until you create a landing page, your default page should either be your wall, your box tab, or your discussions tab - depending on where the best content is located. Third, set the fan access to specify whether fans have access rights to post to wall or upload photos, videos, and links.
Step 12 - Populate your site with sample posts such as wall posts, notes, links, photos and more. Here are some ideas and examples from the Metropolitan St. Louis Chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors.
Here is an example of a Wall for interacting with members by posting notices, links, photos, videos, event announcments and more.
Here is an example of the Info Tab showing location and websites. Content will vary based on the type of group selected at the outset of creating the Facebook Fan Page.
Here is an example of a Landing Tab for a Facebook Fan Page.
Here is an example of content for a Boxes Page including links, photos, videos, etc. Also, include Boxes that integrate your other social media platforms.
Here is an exampe of a Discussion Tab.
Here is an example of a a Download/File Sharing Tab.
Here is an example of a Tab Banner for advertising, recognizing others, etc.
To see a recent Facebook Fan Page set up for the Metropolitan St. Louis Chapter of the Women's Counsel of Realtors, click on: WCR-St. Louis Fan Page. It is still a work in process but you will get some ideas.
In the next post, we will discuss how to create customized tabs for your Facebook Fan Page.
For more information on how to create your customized Fan Page, contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381. Or, visit www.PREASignatureRealty.com and click on the "Technology Toolbox."
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PREA SIGNATURE REALTY
PREA Signature Realty is a full service brokerage located at 1709 Park Avenue in the Lafayette Square neighborhood of the City of St. Louis. PREA Signature proudly serves the following city neighborhoods: Lafayette Square, Soulard, Benton Park, Benton Park West, Downtown Loft District, Forest Park Southwest, Central West End, Tower Grove East, Tower Grove South, Compton Heights, Shaw, The Hill, Dogtown, Carondelet, Holly Hills, St. Louis Hills, Dutchtown, and the Other Historic Neighborhoods of the City of Saint Louis, Missouri.
The opinions expressed herein represent the opinions of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of PREA Signature Realty. All photos and written content were produced by PREA Signature Realty. All Rights Reserved - PREA Signature Realty (2009). This content may not be reproduced or reprinted, except for Active Rain re-blogging, without express written permission of PREA Signature Realty.
For more information, visit our website at www.PREASignatureRealty.com or contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an email to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.
Hey Ryan, thanks for the information. It might be a little tool technical for me, but I'll try it in the next few weeks.
Liz - The basic set up isn't technical. The technical part is the HTML/FBML codes discussed in the next two posts. However, we are trying to create a good step by step guide so you don't have to learn HTML coding to create a good Facebook Fan Page.
THis is so helpful! Thank you so much for laying it out for us! I will definately benefit from this!
Lisa - I'm glad this one helps - I hope you come back for the remaining parts to this series.
Ryan - This is something on my list of to-do's. You've done a great job explaining all of the steps and I appreciate the time it took to put a post like this all together.
Ryan,
Wow, what an incredibly detailed instruction. Have to do it, and this blog could not come at a better time.
Thanks
Donna - This was the easy part. The customization is the hard part. I hope you come back to read more.
Jon - Glad it helps. You can always come back and post questions or contact me directly. I'm not a HTML/FBML code writer. However, I know just enough to be dangerous. I hope you read the upcoming posts that go into more detail about customization.
Ryan- You do a great job with these facebook tutorials. I am sure that if folks follow your steps they will have their fan page set up in just a matter of a couple of hours. I had our VA set ours up for our company. And one for my coaching. I need to work on adding stuff to them though.
Katerina - The first one took a bit longer than planned. It was pretty easy to set up the basic site. The customization is the part that took a bit of time. After the first one, it is pretty easy. Stay tuned for the other installments of this series.
Wow, Great details on how to set a Fan Page, I have a few already set up I need to work on a landing page.
Thanks Ryan
Eva - It was an interesting project... just wanted to save others some time.
WOW! I just stumbled upon this! GREAT info. I'll be coming back often!
Thanks so much for putting this together. :)
Thank you Ryan, this is very useful...trying to get a new page to include my AR blog....
Colleen - Glad it helps.
Cathy - I use Social RSS to feed my blog to Facebook Fan Page. Search on Facebook Fan Page Applications and you should find it pretty easily.
Hi Ryan Thanks so much ..this is so helpful. I am still confiused about business page vs fan page or are they the same? It is great that you shared step by step instructions. Thanks
This is a great instructional blog...are you a student of michael russer? this is the stuff he teaches in his online dominance course...just wondering...I am a va that works with real estate agents and affiliated services and your stuff is technically wow for this community...here's his stuff if you are interested http://blog.onlinedominance.com/explode-your-facebook-fan-page-base-for-no-cost/ but either way keep providing that timely and helpful information to the agent community who desperatedly needs it...xo! jen
This is a great instructional blog...are you a student of michael russer? this is the stuff he teaches in his online dominance course...just wondering...I am a va that works with real estate agents and affiliated services and your stuff is technically wow for this community...here's his stuff if you are interested http://blog.onlinedominance.com/explode-your-facebook-fan-page-base-for-no-cost/ but either way keep providing that timely and helpful information to the agent community who desperatedly needs it...xo! jen
Great job on the post. I've set-up my page and am trying to balance time/content, etc.
Thanks for the info. I have a personal facebook page but I am thinking of setting up a business fan page, I'm just not sure I want to double my work.
Thank you for this fantastic post. I am teaching a technology class this week to our newer agents...I have had a lot of personal success with Facebook and have finally set up a fan page (still working out a few kinks). I will be following your blog and will become a fan of your page!