by Jess Webb
Facebook Page apps are the easiest and quickest way to customize your Facebook Page and add some cool functionality and features to make your Page more interesting and help you stand out.
When you first set up a Facebook Page for your business, Facebook automatically includes several default applications, such as Photos, Info, Discussions, Reviews and other similar apps, depending on the type of Page you set up. These default apps are great, but everyone else uses them, as well. They are the default content on every Facebook Page. By adding some new apps to your Page, you can easily make it more content-rich and give your fans something of value to keep them coming back to your Page.
Here are 5 must-have apps for your Facebook Page:
1. Static HTML: iframe tabs
The Static HTML app is how you can add custom pages to your Facebook Page. Want to add a welcome page with one message that non-fans see and another one that fans see? This is the app for you!
Want to add a page with links to popular articles on your blog, tips or other rich content? This is the app that can do it.
With this app, you can add your own content right into the app via HTML, or you can embed a page that is already set up on your website. It makes it super easy to add your own content and really customize your Facebook Page so that it’s like your own website within Facebook.
2. Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube for Pages
Whichever social media sites you are on, there is likely an app for it that you can add to your Facebook Page. You can embed your Twitter stream right into a Facebook subpage, or pull in your LinkedIn profile or YouTube videos. These apps make it super easy for you to share your content from these other sites right within your Facebook Page.
To find these or other apps for social media sites, just type in the name of the site in Facebook’s search bar and look for any results that say “App”. Or you can do a Google search for “best twitter facebook app” to find recommendations from other people.
The more you can interlink your various online places, the easier it will be for people to connect with you wherever they are the most active, and the better chance you’ll have of sharing your message with them.
3. VendorShop
If you want to be able to sell your products and services right in your Facebook Page, then this is the app for you. It’s completely free, simple to setup, and gives you an online store right within Facebook.
VendorShop gives you the ability to offer a special price to people who Like your Page. You can set a normal price, as well as a Like price for each item. If you choose to do this, make sure you mention that special fans-only price on your non-fan welcome page to encourage them to click that Like button.
Having a shop within your Facebook Page gives you something for your fans to browse and spend some time on your Page. And if you’re offering something that they truly want or need, then they’ll love being able to shop without having to leave Facebook.
4. RSS Graffiti
This app will help you to integrate your blog and any other RSS feeds you want to share into your Facebook Page and Wall stream. RSS Graffiti will automatically post an update to your Wall and your fans’ News Feeds every time you update your blog. This means that you don’t have to login to your Facebook Page and manually add that new blog post. RSS Graffiti does it for you.
There are a number of other apps that do the same thing as this one, so you can pick and choose to find the one you like best.
You can use this app to automatically share updates from other blogs, as well, such as industry news, your JV partner’s blog or other RSS feeds that would be interesting or relevant to your Facebook fans. Just be careful that you don’t use too many and inundate your fans with too many boring blog posts. Be picky about which ones you let autopost to your Facebook Page so you can be sure you are only sharing great content with your fans.
5. Notes
The Notes app is a great way to have a blog within your Facebook Page. You can import your external blog into Notes, so that every time you update your blog it automatically posts a new Note and lets your fans know.
The difference between Notes and RSS Graffiti is that Notes will pull the whole blog post right into your Facebook Page, where RSS Graffiti will just link to the post on your blog, with a title, description and image if there is one attached to the post.
The one drawback to using Notes to import your blog is if you embed a lot of videos into your blog posts. The Notes app will not display those videos, just the text around it. If you’re posting a lot of videos on your blog, you’ll probably want to use RSS Graffiti or a similar app that links directly to your original blog post, instead.
Your Turn
Which of these apps sound like a good fit for your Page? Are there any other apps that you use and love, that might be a good fit for other businesses using Facebook?
Jess is a quirky entrepreneur who helps fellow quirks EXPLODE their business on Facebook. She loves all things Facebook and being able to help business owners learn how to build an active audience to grow their business through Facebook. If you’d like to learn more, you can attend her FREE webinar, The Facebook Explosion Blueprint, to learn how YOU can EXPLODE your business on Facebook, as well.