When Facebook first launched, we joined any and every Group we received an invite for. Now, Pages () have taken over, offering us more content and interactivity than Groups could ever have dreamed of. So we become Fans, showing how much we love everything from True Blood and Coca-Cola to cuddling and napping.
The explosion of Pages has created a lot of useless Fanning opportunities, but tucked away amongst these hastily created Pages are those that not only promote a worthy cause, but utilize the power of Facebook () and the tools available to Page administrators.
Here are four you should Fan, whether you support the cause or just want some tips on building a better Facebook Page.
Have your own favorite Page to add? Tell us about it in the comments.
1. Best Use of Photos: ASPCA
Let’s face it, one of the main things we all do on Facebook is flip through photos. Facebook is one of the largest photo sharing sites, and its browsing capabilities are easier to manage than most.
The ASPCA has capitalized on that and created a Page that inspires Fans to upload their own images to the Fan gallery. They also post pictures of all the pets they help get adopted.
Granted, the ASPCA has the added advantage of cute and cuddly subjects that just beg to be photographed. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a few cues from them. If a picture is worth a thousand words, why not let images tell your story?
Think outside the box and bring a camera with you everywhere, no matter what kind of Page you are trying to promote. Show real people interacting with your brand, or using your product; don’t just throw a few catalog stills into an album and forget about them.
2. Best Use of Facebook Tools: Humane Society
Perhaps the greatest thing about Facebook is that you don’t need a ton of technical skills to make and promote a great Page. Facebook provides you with all the tools, for free; you just have to know how to use them.
The Humane Society has created a robust Page that encourages repeat visitors and chances to “pass this on” by including tons of content and opportunities for interaction—all using readily available Facebook applications and functionality.
By posting links, utilizing front page Wall space for applications, linking their social profiles and constantly updating content with the Notes feature and RSS reader applications, the Humane Society has created a Page that Fans want to come back and explore, as well as share with their friends.
You can do this too, by linking your Facebook Page to your blog or website and Twitter (), Flickr () or YouTube () accounts. Upload new content as often as possible, and automate it where you can using third party applications. Learn a little basic HTML and you can create interactive boxes on both the Wall and Boxes tabs of your Page. It may take time, but you don’t need to hire a fancy developer if you’re willing to do the work.
[The Humane Society of the United States is one of the four Summer of Social Good charities.]
3. Best Use of Custom Applications: Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Facebook is continually tweaking Pages and adding lots of little advancements, so if you’re maintaining a Page, you should definitely be following the official Facebook blog. One of the more recent features is that each tab now has a unique URL, so you can point users to different “pages” of your Page (like a regular website) and determine what you want the default section to be for Fans and non-Fans.
This is an underused feature that the Susan G. Komen Page has employed to send users to their Boxes tab. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is clearly branded with their signature pink color and logo, while showing off several polished, professional looking applications. The Page looks worthy of fanning, because they clearly spend a lot of time on it and will likely continue to update the content.
There are lots of calls to action, providing multiple ways to donate or join the cause. Of course, this also means they have significant offline and off-Facebook programs to support their Page.
But if you don’t have a ton of funding, or you can’t see investing in a Facebook Page before more pressing financial matters, don’t despair; this kind of Page can be created in much the same way as the Humane Society’s. You can create the look of a custom application by seeking out flexible HTML and FBML apps like Static FBML and Profile Box.
4. Best Use of Simplicity: Target
Another major benefit to using Facebook Pages is that they can often be executed faster and cheaper than a website. By building off existing technology and functionality, you can save yourself a lot of time, money and hassle. You can also tap into an existing network much more easily.
Target probably has money to spare, but in order to get their $3 million charitable donation campaign up, running and attracting attention, they turned to Facebook. That portion of the Page is gone now, but I’m sure you heard about it: Target allowed users to vote on which charity they preferred, and Target divvied up the donations accordingly.
Short, simple, and brilliant. This “promotion” lived on a single tab of Target’s Facebook Page and utilized social media to drive votes and mentions. Target combined their brand power and existing network with the ease and simplicity of a custom Facebook application to create a huge amount of buzz for this campaign.
If you don’t have $3 million and a mammoth brand at your disposal, you can still mimic this tactic: go for the clean, easy solution that gets the job done, but still looks good. Take your Facebook Page one step at a time. Don’t clutter it with dozens of useless apps; add one or two that really work for your brand or cause, and make sure everything you put on the Page adds to the user experience.
source: http://mashable.com/2009/06/25/facebook-cause-pages/
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