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"This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.\nFacebook is known for its uniformity.  You can post all sorts of content, but the actual design and layout of your profile is the same as everyone else's.\nBut with Facebook Fan Pages and the array of apps you can plug into them, there are a few ways you can customize what people see when they land on your Page.\nYou've probably seen custom Fan Pages like those of Best Buy and Victoria's Secret.  When you land there, you start on what is essentially a mini website within Facebook, instead of the Page's wall or feed.\nThese are often used to promote deals, call attention to new products, or simply welcome visitors with an attractive branded splash page.   Anyone with a Fan Page can create one, but it takes a little effort.  Here's how.\n\n\nHOW TO: Build a Facebook Landing Page for Your Business\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. Add the Static FBML App\n\nThe tabs at the top of your Facebook Fan Page are apps.  Some, like your wall and photos are built into Facebook. Others are essentially plug-ins where fans can view external content, like YouTube videos, Flickr photos, etc.\nThe app you need for your custom page is called \u201CStatic FBML,\u201D located here. If you're logged into Facebook, you can add it to your Page.  It is essentially a blank canvas where you can add whatever content you want, including custom graphics and links via standard HTML.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Set Up Your Tab\nOnce you've added the Static FBML app, click \u201CEdit Page\u201D below your company's profile image.  This will bring up all your settings and apps.  Look for the FBML app and click the \u201CApplication Settings\u201D link.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Set Up Your Tab\nThe app can function in two ways: As a set of boxes, or as one dedicated profile tab.  If you're building a splash page, you'll probably want to use it as a tab, so go ahead and make sure that the \u201CBox\u201D setting is removed, and the \u201CTab\u201D setting is added.  You can always experiment with boxes later if you find them more useful.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. Add Your Content\n\nOnce you're in tab mode, go back to your settings and click the \u201CEdit\u201D link under the Static FBML app.  This opens a standard text field where you can add your content.\n\u201CBox Title\u201D will be the name of your tab, so you'll want to change it to something appropriate, like \u201CThis Week's Deals,\u201D \u201CSpecial Offers,\u201D or simply \u201CWelcome,\u201D depending on how you plan to use your Page.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. Add Your Content\n\nThe main text field is where your content goes, and you can add standard HTML to the page as you would any website, including images, text, links, and other formatting.  No need for HTML, BODY, or HEAD tags.\nNote that your images must be hosted elsewhere (on your company's website, for example) and only referenced in your HTML code.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Make It the Default Landing Page\nIf you want this new tab to be the \u201Cface\u201D of your business Fan Page, head back over to your page settings and edit your \u201CWall Settings.\u201D  There is an option for \u201CDefault Landing Tab for Everyone Else.\u201D  From that menu, select your new tab.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Make It the Default Landing Page\nFrom now on, it will be the first thing visitors see when they arrive.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Engage Further With FBML\n\nFBML stands for Facebook Markup Language, and it is the code used in Facebook applications to reference items on the social network, like user profiles, groups, feeds, and other data.  If you're really looking to integrate your landing page and get interactive with visitors, it might be worthwhile to learn this language.\nA great primer on FBML and a resource for optimizing your Facebook landing page in general can be found in my colleague Tamar Weinberg's Techipedia article on the subject.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMore business resources from Mashable:\n\n- 5 Ways to Avoid Sabotaging Your Personal Brand Online- 4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy- HOW TO: Choose a News Reader for Keeping Tabs on Your Industry- HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI- HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2010/02/22/build-facebook-landing-page/>