*EDIT* many of the things laid out on this page have been, or will be, subject to the changes that Facebook has made to their pages format effective March 30, 2012. please see this post for details.
These days Facebook is playing a larger and larger role for Realtors and Real Estate Companies who want to maximize their digital marketing and online presence in general. The paradox about Facebook is that its best feature is also its worst: It’s free.
Obviously “free” is everybody’s favorite price, especially when talking about something as powerful as Facebook. Unfortunately “free” also means that everybody is on there (if you look up the definition of “non-exclusive” you will see a picture of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg swimming around in a pile of $100 bills) so it is pretty crowded and hard to stand out. Here at YHOP we can change that so keep reading.
The goal behind any type of Facebook business page is to get the “like” from as many people as possible. The “like” is an opt-in. The “like” is permission marketing. The “like” is king in Zuckerberg’s world so the goal is to pile them up like cord wood. Preferably from other sources than family, friends, and people who just want to help you out.* The “likes” that count come from your customers and people who you hope will also become your customers.
Many people seem to think that a Facebook business page is a static entity but with a little bit of tweaking, you can make your facebook page something spectacular that will stand out in the crowd and attract the “like”. We can integrate your MHOP page, or your own website, with your Facebook page to create a dynamic, visually impressive, landing page with links to your website or anywhere else you would like people to go. Take a look at the sample on the left (you can click on it to visit the real thing AFTER reading the rest of this article) The first thing people will notice is how different it looks from most business pages which will help to set you up to prove how different you are from the rest of the Realtor community.
Have a look at the samples below to get an idea of the different ways we can make your Facebook landing page the dynamic tool it needs to be to attract more attention to your business..
Basic Landing Page This is a basic landing page where we have used iframes to bring in a bigger image with some catchy graphics. Notice how the links within the image are “live” and can direct the user to other locations. This is simply a way to add some important wow factor when people first land on your page.
Roll-over effect In this example we have also brought in a larger image with graphics but note how there is a roll-over effect when hovering over the bottom portion of the image. The second image (when rolling over) can be a call to action or additional content. It can also be linked to another location if the desire is to bring the viewer to the main site.
Dynamic Content Notice how in this example there is some flash content on the page to give it a little bit of life. This can also be video or a slideshow or whatever best captures the viewer’s attention.
Secret Content In this example there are actually two landing pages. The first one solicits the “like” and then the second page is only visible to people who have “liked” the page. This is an excellent way to increase your “likes” and build a larger base of people who have opted-in to your product or service. You will also notice that this version is embedded with some audio content.
* We don’t mean to discount the value of having “likes” from your friends, family, etc.. Don’t forget that while they may not represent your customer, each one of them likely have hundreds of Facebook friends who you are reaching indirectly.
The final, and possibly most important, thing you should know about these great landing pages is that they are designed for a one-time impact in order to get the viewers engagement (the “like”). Once someone has liked you, when they return to your page they will see your wall (you can put a note in your profile picture with an arrow to the tab that holds the page to get people to click on it) but Facebook is quite strict about having the wall as the dominant landing area. That being said there are some creative and effective things you can do with your wall (actually the “photo Strip” you see at the top of your wall) that will allow you to inform, engage, and stand out in the crowd. You can read more about getting a cool custom picture strip here.
Thank you for a very helpful blog post:)