Custom Facebook Fan Pages have become the standard for businesses, universities, NGOs, government organizations, etc. However, there is often some question as to what constitutes a “custom Facebook Fan Page.” Can’t anyone create a custom Facebook Fan Page by just setting up a Page and adding a unique url address to it? The answer is yes, but there’s more to a custom Facebook Fan Page than making little tweaks to the url or adding creative content to the info. section.
Splash / Welcome Page Development
One of the primary characteristics of a custom Facebook Fan Page is the development of a high quality Splash or Welcome Page. This tailor-programed Page serves as a branded doorway, giving new visitors the opportunity to get to know the brand better and to orient themselves, rather than dropping them face-first onto a mass of Page discussion and posts. Many new visitors are so overwhelmed with that drop treatment they do an about-face and “dislike” the Page because of the poor social etiquette.
Below is a sample custom Facebook Splash / Welcome Page that FastPivot commissioned programmer, Aldo Dager, designed for Universidad Casa Grande (Guayaquil, Ecuador) . Image(s) courtesy of Universidad Casa Grande.
A special note of thanks to UCG’s website project consultant and Advisor to the UCG President, Steven Wille, for his patience, support, and insights throughout the design process.
Converting a Personal Facebook Page to an Official Page
Back when businesses, universities, governmental organizations, NGOs, non-profits, etc. were first staking their claim to Facebook real estate, there weren’t experienced programmers or social media managers around to help develop the campaign. Oftentimes organizations set up their Official Pages under a Personal Facebook Account and thought nothing of it. Then when it became obvious that there was a clear advantage to setting up a distinct page for non-personal affairs, it was too late. With no way to migrate a personal Facebook page to a non-personal business or organization page, Facebook Page managers were forced to undertake the laborious task of asking each “friend” to “Like” the new “official” Page. No more–now’s there’s an way to migrate.
The screen shot below again features Universidad Casa Grande’s Facebook Page, but note the 2214 Fan count down to the left. Without a Facebook Page migration option, it would have taken months to do a manual migration, and even then it would have been impossible to migrate the entire 2000 plus fan base.
Keeping it Real
There are also a number of other custom social media upgrades that can be made to Facebook Pages, such as adding custom-built tabs, graphics, apps, etc. While a custom Page is a nice touch, it’s important not to lose touch with creating good content for your audience, which is the most important aspect of any Facebook Page for business, university, NGO, etc.
What custom apps., design, or upgrades are you finding useful for your Facebook Fan Page?
