Real Estate Technology - Facebook Fan Page Series - Creating Your Facebook Fan Page - The Basic Set Up

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."