Photographers are jumping on the Facebook Fan Page bandwagon in droves. Which, while a good thing, leaves many wondering how do you increase your “Fan Base”. One answer to that question is pretty damn simple, use your existing marketing, blog or webpage to steer your clients in the right direction using the Facebook Connect Widget Wizard. Say that 3 times fast! What’s a widget you ask? I’ll lean on Wikipedia for the answer.
A web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation.
Basically it means that Facebook is doing the hardest part for you by creating the complex code that you can then simply copy and paste into your own website or blog.
Simply login to Facebook, load the add a Facebook connect widget wizard tick off a few check boxes and it will auto generate your code which you can then in turn add to your blog or website. (see the example above from my own blog) It’s a down and dirty way to tie one or more of your existing pieces of your marketing puzzle together.
WordPress users here’s a most excellent tutorial showing you how to create a text widget that will display the code on your site and for those who require visual stimulation there is a YouTube tutorial as well.
Blogger users we haven’t forgotten you here is your how to tutorial.
If you’ve just read this whole article and are still asking yourself why you would want to do this please see my rant rave.. “How Facebook Messed With A Good Thing To Make It Great“. And always remember, once you have fans you can then market directly to them.
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17 Comments at "How to Increase Your Facebook Fan Base"
I’ve been trying to do this a couple times now this week and just can’t figure out how to edit the text sidebar thing!
Heather what type of blog do you have? Can I get a link?
my blog is a wordpress — http://www.neckersphoto.com/blog I’m trying to set it up above the search bar for the time being, which I can drag the text1 into the sidebar but can’t do anything with it once its there?
Email me the skin files you’re using. mark@digitalweddingforum.com or if you know which ones that handle your sidebar just send that one. I can show you exactly where to insert it.
Oooh, I figured it out. Thanks for your time, Mark!
Cool!
Heather you need to change the width in the code that facebook provides. It’s 300 by default. Try 200 and see if that works.
I just “fanned” you too.
Thanks Mark, look it worked already increased the fan base lol
Yep, I changed it to 195, and I’m happy with it.
I am having issues. I paste the script but when it saves it deletes the part of the script. go to my blog and it only show the link…any help is appreciated.
Jason have you sorted this out? What’s the link to your blog?
http://www.northcuttphotography.com/wordpress.com
Jason that link doesn’t work.
Now it wont let me post on here. Take out the . com after the web address should . wordpress . com
Thank you, added easily
Fabulous tips… I’ll definitely be able to put some of these creative ideas into action almost immediately. Thank you. Hope using this tip I will cross 1000 fans landmark soon!
Facebook is a truly viral phenomenon.. it’s very hard to game the system, as it were. Paying for a campaign can certainly get it kickstarted, so don’t write that off. What you have to be careful of is making sure that your page “sticks” after the initial spurt of paid advertising. if it doesn’t, stop throwing money at it and rethink.
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