Mari Smith's Mega List of Facebook Business Resources

Browse through this directory of my recommended Facebook blog posts and tutorials to help you improve your Facebook marketing!

  • Articles – Helpful Articles and Tutorials on Facebook Marketing

  • iFrames Apps – The Motherlode List of Custom Apps To Add To Your Page

  • Tools – The Best Tools To Simplify Your Social Media

  • Blogs – Recommended Social Media and Technology Blogs

  • Books – Mari’s Top Picks for Excellent Reads

iFrames Apps – The Motherlode List of Custom Apps To Add To Your Page

Facebook stopped allow the creation of FBML pages/apps/tabs after March 11, 2011. Page Admins need to use iFrames to add any custom content and that does require a bit of coding/programming and design knowledge. But, then, so did FBML! :)

What’s exciting about iFrames is you can have your web team design and build custom content based on your current website/blog theme, make the width 520px and drop it into your own iFrame app.

For great tutorials on building your own iFrame custom content, see my buddy Tim Ware‘s blog at HyperArts.com/blog.

PLUS, check out the following possible solutions for making the switch to iFrames. I’ll add more as I find them.

Click here to share on Facebook!

FREE iFrame Apps

Static HTML: iframe tabs – super easy to use, one-click install. Easily add more tabs within the main tab. Display content for fans and non-fans (fan-gating). Includes FBML to iFrames converter. Editing is done right on the tab. You do need to create your custom content in an outside WYSIWYG editor, then paste it into the fields otherwise you’ll just get plain text unless you’re a Ninja coder. :) (A WYSIWYG editor right in the app would be awesome! I actually created this content using iwiPage’s editor, then pasted in the source code!) Already close to 7,000 users. Nice! Cost? FREE. Creators: Jason Padvorac & Timothy Mensing. [I created this page using the Static HTML app! I love how the developers have zero ads/branding on your app... at least for now!]

iFrames for Pages by Wildfire - easy to use, nice clean app. Easy to display fan and non-fan content. As with all apps that don’t have a WYSIWYG editor, you need to create your custom content in an outside editor then paste into the blank fields. I’ve been a big fan of Wildfire for some time and am impressed with this app. Check out my review of their new app on my blog here. Cost? FREE (at least for three months, though Wildfire indicate they will grandfather everyone in if they do move to a paid model). [I created my Free Facebook Webinar tab using this app.]

iwiPage – another easy app to use. One click install. Add tabs within the tab. Includes a website builder with support for HTML, WYSIWYG, iFrame, Javascript, Flash and other languages. Easily add your Google Analytics too. Free and pro (paid) version. Fangating is a pro feature. ~540,000 monthly active users. Nice! (With this being such a popular app, you do need to deal with big banner ads on the Admin dashboard). [I created a demo tab for this app and really like it.]

TabSite - I’ve been a longtime fan of TabSite. Their WYSIWYG editor is super easy to use and they incorporate many features that other apps don’t, such as the Like button right on the tab. Easy to add additional tabs within the main tab. Free and paid versions available. [I created my Free Facebook Resources tab using TabSite.]

Hosted iFrame by MonsterApps - similar to the others above, though you do need to click the usual grant permission button (accesses basic info only). Then drop in your own HTML code (or XFBML). Up to 25MB of images and CSS files hosted for you. Track traffic by entering your Google tracking code in the app settings. See the fun live example on the MonsterApps page. This is clearly a very new app, but looks good.

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LOW-COST iFrame Apps:

WordPress for Fan Pages – if you’re more savvy with WordPress than a full-blown HTML/website creation software like DreamWeaver, this solution might work for you. Includes 8 templates with menu and comments on/off. Super VA, Andrea Kalli, recommended this app. It’s $17 one-time fee on this forum. Or $37 on their Facebook Page. ;) It does look clean from the video.

Click here to share on Facebook!

Facebook Page Apps – The Motherlode List (mix of free and fee):

See this blog post for a list of 75 apps to add to your Facebook Page.

For easy-to-use apps that include templates, check out these options:

These sites offer suites of apps, including custom Landing tabs. Some apps are free, some have a fee:

Designers/developers:

If you’re looking for full hands-on customization service at very affordable rates, I’ve had personal experience with the following service-providers:

See also:

Enterprise-level customization:

BIG list of vendors:

This list was crowd sourced from my Facebook fans!

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Helpful Articles and Tutorials on Facebook

Track Facebook’s Upcoming Changes

How To Get Your Fan Page Posts In Your Fans’ News Feeds

When you set up a Facebook (fan) Page and begin building your community, it can still take time to ensure your posts are consistently showing up in your fans’ News Feed. Facebook uses a complex algorithm called “EdgeRank” that takes into account several factors. The following posts contain helpful information to unravel this mystery:

When Are The Best Times/Days to Post on Facebook?

  • Anatomy of a Facebook Post: Vitrue’s Data Behind Effective Social Media Marketing

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Getting Started With Facebook Marketing

Teen Safety on Facebook

Designing and Building Out Your Facebook Fan Page

Click here to share on Facebook!

Growing and Engaging With Your Facebook Fanbase

Case Studies

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Facebook Groups

Facebook Events

Facebook Strategy

Why Use Facebook

Facebook Contest Rules

Sourcing Content on Facebook

Using Facebook Insights

Privacy

Playing by Facebook’s Rules

Facebook Community Pages

Adding Facebook To Your Own Website/Blog

Getting Help on Facebook

The Best Tools To Simplify Your Social Media Management

  • HootSuite – post to multiple social profiles, includes pre-scheduling ability
  • SocialOomph – post to multiple social profiles, includes pre-scheduling ability
  • TweetDeck – post to multiple social profiles, includes pre-scheduling ability
  • Twellow – easily find your target audience to follow on Twitter
  • See this post by Lee Odden on TopRank.com – 22 Social Media Marketing Management Tools

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Recommended Social Media and Technology Blogs To Stay Informed

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Mari’s Top Picks for Excellent Facebook Books!

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Email
  • http://www.acceleratingyoursuccess.com Therese Skelly

    Hey Mari,
    Your site looks great.
    Thanks for getting out in the world in such a big and cool way!

    Blessings,
    Therese

  • http://www.facebook.com/LidorBeck1 Lidor Beck

    Well done Mari!

  • http://twitter.com/russ_dean Russell Dean Roering

    Mari, you just saved me a whole heck of a lot of work by putting this all in one place. Thank you!

  • Jason Padvorac

    Great post, Mari! I just wanted to confirm that the Static HTML app will *never* add branding to your page. We really liked how Static FBML was no-frills-no-attempted-up-sell white-label, and wanted to duplicate that.

    Also, as we speak I’m migrating the app to a cloud-based hosting system. Our traffic has spiked since you mentioned us, and we want to make sure that the experience stays fast and smooth for people. :)

  • http://www.socialidentities.com Hugh Briss

    I’m sure a lot of people are going to be glad you put this together, Mari. Thanks for including Social Identities in your list of designers, developers.

  • http://twitter.com/BragInteractive Brad

    Mari, great resources you put together here! I also put together a tutorial on the new Facebook iFrames that comes with a fully customizable design that is totally free. I thought you or your readers might be interested.
    http://braginteractive.com/how-to-add-facebook-iframe-page/
    Thanks again.

  • Jim Belosic

    Thanks for the mention Mari! If anyone wants to check out http://www.shortstacklab.com a little more, here’s our YouTube channel – http://www.youtube.com/shortstacklab

    If anyone from this page signs up for our service at “ShortStack” level or above, send us a support ticket with the code “MARISMITH” and we’ll give you a little something as a thanks :)

  • Atul Vhale

    I heard news facebook no more to support new FBML applications to be created. New canvas applications and Page tabs will have to be based on IFrames and our JavaScript SDK.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ed.hudson1 Ed Hudson

    Hmm… wish you hadn’t overlooked us as a Fan Page developer. We’ve built custom fan pages for many businesses. http://Facebook.com/GetACustomFanPage

  • http://twitter.com/AbigailK_ Abigail PhotoSocial

    Thanks for this post! It has inspired me to explore all the iFrame options and will be referring clients to this post regularly!

  • http://www.pokeronlineromania.net Poker Online

    Nice resources ! It helped me

  • http://twitter.com/IrinaKF Irina

    Hi Mari, can you please add Pagemodo.com to your list of iframe apps

  • Jim

    Mari You are a very generous and caring person..it comes thru so very well and following your example I sincerely believe will put me on the path to success.
    But with that said there are quite a few seemingly successful “Gurus” that come across as “used car salesmen”…
    I guess i need to do what allows me to sleep well at nite
    Your approach is the best..Thanks for the inspiration.
    James Damon  aka Jim Doc Damon

  • http://twitter.com/SocialMediaJeff Jeff Emmerson

    Hello from #Guelph, Mari! Do us fellow Canadians proud, girl! :) #Toronto

  • Sram Jiri
  • Anonymous

    Hi Mari, can you also add http://designfanpage.com/ for the Designers/developers? I would totally appreciate it! Thanks! 

  • http://greensboro-nc.com/ Greensboro

    Thanks for all the usefull info.

  • http://www.rosemcgrory.co.uk/ RM Social Media Management

    Quick heads up – while it would indeed be brilliant to discover what’s trending on Facebook, the site (itstrending.com) which that article directs us to, appears to be no more :(

  • Joyce Mclagan

    I don’t want to blog or read all the things other people have to say. What I want to know is how to get Facebook to work on my Blackberry! I was given a temporary code; entered it and then entered my new password twice double checking that they were spelled the same and it still wouldn’t accept it. All I want is to be use my Facebook on my phone and apparently it’s not possible.

    I wish you could explain what is going wrong because it is very frustrating.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/ally.bradley1 Ally Bradley

    i
    have an issue with my cell number on the pictures that i email to
    post. How can i have the number removed from everyone seeing it?

  • http://www.facebook.com/ally.bradley1 Ally Bradley

    i
    have an issue with my cell number on the pictures that i MOBLE email to
    post. How can i have the number removed from everyone seeing it?