The following is the NEW way (courtesy of Sean Lowery of minisite design)

Step 1) Create your facebook page (if you haven’t already). If you have an existing page, just make sure you are logged in under an account with admin access.

Step 2) Visit this page: http://apps.facebook.com/iframe-apps/?ref=ts

Step 3) Select your page; In the box that says “IFrame URL,” enter the link to your new page; Click “Submit”

Now, your new iframe tab will show up on your FB page

If you’d like to make this the default landing tab for visitors (as opposed to the wall), follow these additional steps:

Step 1) Navigate to your page

Step 2) Click “Edit this page” button

Step 3) A “Manage Permissions” settings page should come up. Look for a setting called “Default Landing Tab”. Drop down the box and choose your new tab.

Step 4) Save Changes

Now, your new tab will be the default landing tab for visitors. Note, you will not see it this way if you are logged in as admin. The only way to test is to log out and visit your page.

That’s it! And if you’d like a KILLER looking page, visit Sean’s site (linked to up above.)

It’s pretty simple and if you know me, you know I don’t like to make anything more complicated than it is. So follow these five simple steps and you’ll have your very own, custom Facebook page.

1. Go to Facebook’s “Static FBML” app page. Once you have that open click the “Add to my page” link in the left menu under the “?” image then click “Add to Page” next to the page you want to make custom.

2. Go to your page. You should now see “FBML 1″ in the sidebar menu to the left. Click on it, then click “Edit Info” under the title of the page. Click “Apps” to the left. Next to the “FBML – FBML” app click “Go to App.”

3. Now change the “Box Title” to whatever you want the the custom page to be named. Maybe something like “Specials” or “Home.” Now in the “FBML” box insert whatever you want your custom page to display. You can use HTML in here! The easiest, and probably best, thing to do is have a designer create a nice looking landing page image, then just stick the image code in there.

4. Click “Save Changes.”

5. Now our custom page is created. Next we are going to change our page settings so our new custom page is the default landing page (The page everyone seems when they open our Facebook page.) Go to your page and click “Edit Page” at the top-right. Now click “Manage Permissions” in the left sidebar. Now find the “Default Landing Tab” section and choose your new tab from the drop down menu. Click “Save Changes”

You’re done! Here is an example: BOOST Web Marketing, LLC. Facebook Page If you don’t see the custom landing page in that example, read the “Note” below.

Now logout and access your page again and you should see your new, custom page!

Note: This new landing page will ONLY be seen by those people (including yourself) who have NOT already “liked” your page. Once someone “likes” your page they will see your wall by default.

This is a great way to increase “Likes” of your page by having a small Call to Action (CTA) in there and to also make a great first impression. The example page I linked to above is not perfect. That is a temporary page until my designer creates a custom one for it. The new image will have the CTA I mentioned above, with an arrow showing them where to “Like” the page etc.

Social Media is growing like no media has ever grown before. MySpace was one of the first mass social platforms, then Facebook, Twitter and the list goes on and on. As Internet Marketers Social Media is a relatively new, HUGE market and opportunity, but it’s far from a secret!

There are millions of sites dedicated to leveraging Social Media to do this, that and the other. It’s a marketing machine, but only a small percentage of marketers are really benefiting from it because most are just confused by it all. This post is my attempt at clearing up that confusion.

Let’s start off with the definition. Wikipedia says:

“Social media is content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies.”

That’s the “book” definition, but it really all comes down to the first word “social.” Any site that is driven by user-generated content is a social media site!

With that being said, let me tell you something that most people don’t realize for a WHILE, which causes them to waste time bugging legitimate users and spamming those users… eventually getting their accounts suspended: There are MANY different types of social media sites and each one has it’s own benefits to you as an Internet Marketer.

Some can be leveraged in the same basic way. Some provide the same benefit if leveraged properly, but all are different!

For instance, social bookmarking sites like Digg and Stumbleupon are best leveraged as direct exposure tools. Good, viral content that you produce can gain thousands, even millions, of new visitors from these sites when your visitors bookmark them. But, you don’t go to Digg or SU to build links (it’s all nofollowed) or to network. There are other social bookmarking sites that will give you a followed link. There may even be some that are good for networking. That’s where my point comes in. They are all different!

LinkedIn is a social site that is all about networking. Meeting other people in your niche. Making friends, which is really what networking is all about!

Facebook and Twitter are useful for direct exposure and networking. And as a side note, I recommend creating separate accounts for business and private use.

There is a big problem with many social media sites and spam, especially Twitter. This problem comes from confused marketers who don’t understand that each site is different. The problem is spam. But this spam isn’t coming from dirty, unethical scammers like most spam comes from. It’s coming from “newbie” Internet Marketers who are getting very broad info regarding the topic and acting on that info without any real clarity.

I get direct messages on Twitter on a daily basis from people talking like we’re best friends even though I have never talked to them in my life. They don’t understand that Twitter (for instance) is just like real life. Use it to make friends, talk NORMAL to people. Get to know them, help them…

Things like this happen on just about all of the big social sites. Each problem is unique to the site it occurs on, but it all comes from users trying to use a social platform in the wrong way.

So how can I be different and provide a clear solution? Unfortunately the best advice I can give you, or anyone can give you for that matter, is to look at each site differently!

Every time a new social media site begins to gain popularly I create an account and start using it HOW IT’S MEANT TO BE USED. Once I understand it, I then start to think of ways in which it can benefit my business, if any.

It comes down to this. Most social media sites are best leveraged by using them EXACTLY HOW THEY’RE MEANT TO BE USED! Don’t push URL’s onto people you don’t know. Don’t bend or break the rules of the sites. Just sign up, figure out the purpose and intention of the site and use it. Marketing isn’t always about ads and pushy sales talk. It’s also about making friends, sharing ideas and information, helping people and just being active.

image credit: Matt Hamm