Create a Killer Facebook Page Step 3: Customize Your Logo and Landing Page

By now, you have researched Facebook Fan pages, planned out your page, and created a basic page. Now it is time to get into the meat of the fan page and customize it. From the sample fan pages in Step 1, you probably noticed that you can add a logo or photo to the upper left sidebar of your fan page. What you may not know is that you are not constrained to including just a logo or photo of yourself. You can create totally customized web banners that are 200 pixels wide and as tall as you like!

Think of this space as a web banner ad, and come up with something fun and interesting to get your visitors’ attention like this example from a photographer’s page:

He’s using his banner to both promote his brand (logo) and his work by including a portrait that he shot. The sky really is the limit here, so have fun with it.

To help you get started, we have a Photoshop template that you can download and use to build your banner. It includes the upper blue bar and rule to match up with the Facebook background. (Lining the backgrounds up can be tricky and it will shift around a lot so you may find it easier to just do a solid background that sits on top of the Facebook page instead.) Use your custom banner to tell more about your business or show samples of your service or product.

The custom banner is great, but it is a baby step towards making your fan page engaging and successful. Most Facebook fan page visitors ignore wall posts, so if your visitors are landing on your wall, then at best they are having to do extra work to get the stuff they really want and at worst getting turned off and leaving. The answer is a custom landing page with carefully crafted content meant to engage your visitors or inspire action. (Remember the call to action that we talked about in Step 1?)

The Mint fan page is a great example of a custom landing page that gives a clear call to action. When you get to their Facebook page, you know exactly what they want you to do.

So how do you do it? Setting a different landing page is the easy part. Check out the excerpt below from the Facebook help form for detailed instructions:

How do I change the default tab (the part of my Facebook Page that users are defaulted to when they visit for the first time)?

To change the tab which shows by default on your Page, simply click the “Settings” button which appears below the blue Share button on your Wall tab. Then, adjust your settings appropriately.

Actually customizing the page is a bit more work. Facebook’s Static FBML application makes it easy for web newbies or code novices. Read the How to Customize Your Facebook Page Using Static FBML on the Social Media Examiner blog for detailed instructions. You can also buy pre-made templates that make it really easy to create an awesome page. Check out Fan Page Engine for affordable Facebook page templates. And if you do not have the time or feel overwhelmed with all this, you can always hire a professional. Shameless self-promotion alert: 910 West can help you develop the content for your landing page and actually build it. Contact us for details. We do offer a free ½-hour consultation.

< For detailed instructions on how to change the name of your custom page tab, read our follow up post How to Change the Name of a tab in Your Facebook Business Page. >

While creating your custom pages, you may also want to create and publish usage guidelines or terms of service. Your fan page is supposed to encourage your fans to participate with your company by adding their own content. Give them guidelines on what is appropriate.

Done customizing your page? Take the next step: Link Your Blog and Social Media.