Melissa Dougan's Blog

5 Essential Facebook Business Apps

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:36:00 -0800

With over 350,000,000 accounts on Facebook if you own a business and don’t have a Facebook Fan Page yet (get one now). Once you start taking advantage of Facebook Business Fan Page you should leverage some of the Facebook Business Apps available today. We have tested many that did not work well but those that we strongly recommend for Facebook Fan Page are below. An effective Facebook Page not only attracts fans, but keeps fans coming back and may even share the content (images, video, etc.) from your Facebook Fan Page.

Here are 5 Essential Facebook Business Apps for your brand’s Facebook Business Fan Page:

1. Static FBML – This is by far the most useful application for creating a custom page. Static FBML allows you to add advanced functionality to a page by placing a customizable box where you can incorporate HTML or FBML (Facebook Markup Language), giving you complete control over the space to add images, video, text and almost anything else you want. You will need to place images referenced in the HTML on your own server. If you understand how to create HTML just about anything you can think of can be done with this application to customize your page. The dimensions you must work within to avoid issues are 656 pixels wide. If you need help with creating HTML check out http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp

2. Facebook ShopTab – Have you ever wondered how to create a custom Facebook shop tab before? Sadly I did not until I landed on Little Butterfly Kiss Facebook shop tab. If you have a website that sells products and by now you hopefully have a Facebook Fan Page this Facebook shop tab business application is a must have. The App simply creates a shop tab on your Facebook Fan Page and you then use an admin tool to upload your products. It took me about 20 minutes to set up our Facebook Fan Page shop tab.

3. My Google Calendar – If you have events for your business this calendar App from Google is good. This app allows you to add a public Google calendar to your page. My Google Calendar is a very simple application to embed your Google Calendar on your Profile or Application/Business Page (it works on both). Just paste your Google Calendar code link and that's it. You will be able to see and manage your own Google Calendar from Facebook. Check out http://apps.facebook.com/mygooglecalendar/FAQ.php for more details.

4. Twitter Integration - This will automatically pull your tweets into your Facebook status, and it puts a Twitter themed box on your profile. It will save you time in updating. There were a few Twitter Apps that we found but this one was our favorite.

5. My LinkedIn Profile – Promote your LinkedIn account with a badge on your Facebook profile. Just enter your LinkedIn username or full url to your LinkedIn profile and choose the style of badge. This adds a little button with a link to your LinkedIn Profile. It can go on the Wall or Boxes page.

So what are your favorite Facebook Business Applications? Please share with a link to the Facebook App or the Facebook Fan Page you found it on.

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Mother Daughter share passion for jewelry

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:42:41 -0800

Thought this story was special from David Henke at Northfieldnews.com and wanted to share:

Sandy Komis blames it all on her daughter.

For most of her life, Krista, 21, has pursued creative, artistically inclined activities, like painting, fiber art and scrapbooking. And wherever Krista went with her art, Sandy, eager to grow and learn with her daughter, was more than happy to follow. Even into the jewelry-making business.

Together, the mother-daughter pair owns and operates Komis Couture, a new jewelry-making endeavor, out of their home south of Dundas. The business, which opened in August, specializes in jewelry that blurs the line between vintage style and a more modern, edgy feel.

To read rest of story check out http://www.northfieldnews.com/news.php?viewStory=50601

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How to Sell Jewelry at Events and Shows

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:28:54 -0800

We sell custom Jewelry and decided to buy a booth at a local event to showcase our Jewelry and prior to the event went online to do some research. Below are some of the tips I learned from Tammy from About.com that I found most beneficial when selling Jewelry at an event or show:

· No matter what happens, try to keep a positive attitude.

· Do not let negative comments get to you. Some people just like to be snarky for no reason.

· Bring plenty of inventory, but don't kill yourself making it all.

· Be as prepared for a long day and try to make it as comfortable for yourself as possible. Wear comfortable shoes because you may be on your feet a lot if the show is busy.

· If at all possible, do not do a show alone. If you don't have an understanding husband or other relative, consider at least asking a friend to stop by for a few hours to help at the end of the show so you can have some help after your long day.

· Bring a few tools and supplies to make jewelry at the show. If you get too busy to make jewelry, that's okay. But during slow times, you can get some work done and perhaps attract customers who may be interested in the jewelry making process.

To get all the details from Tammy at About.com check out her post at http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/basicbizinfo/a/012108.htm

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