In this article I'm going to show how to use these techniques to make a Fan Page use Static FBML to display an iFrame.
If you don't know what an iFrame is, it's a method of embedding a web page in a web page. A portion of the main web page has a "window" that is another web page, from the same web server, or from a different web server. There's lots of uses for this and I won't cover them here.
I'm a little hesitant to show this information because I fear that Facebook will block it from working as they have other techniques to display iFrames.
You can see an example of an iFrame in a Facebook Fan Page on the Fan Page for my photo gallery site: www.facebook.com/pqGallery after you click the "Like" button, click the "Slideshow" Tab. Once on the "SlideShow" Tab, click the "Click to Load SlideShow" Button and you'll see an iFrame load that contains a dynamic image slideshow.
Why do you have to click the "Click to Load SlideShow" button? Because Facebook will not automatically start an AJAX command, they require the user to click something. This has the obvious down side of the user having to click something to see your iFrame, but the upside of giving you the ability to have several buttons that they could choose from to load exactly what they want to see.
So, how does this work? First, you HAVE to master what I covered in Part 2. If you can't get that to work, the iFrame technique will not work. Once you can do that, you can use the same technique to make the iFrame. Instead of processing a form and sending an email, the php code that you put on your server sends back to Facebook, via the AJAX connection, the code for your iFrame... and it works!
Below is the exact Static FBML code I use on the pqGallery SlideShow tab. Please Note: you will need to change the call to my server and my php file - I've put in a comment just before this line of code:
Below is the exact content of the PHP file that gets called. pqGallery actually generates this for you for embedding iFrame slideshows of images, so all I had to do here was to copy and paste the code it generated.
As with the examples in the previous articles, it can be frustrating to debug this type of setup. However, eliminating one element at a time until you get something to work is the best way, then, add back what you removed, again, one element at a time and then you'll find the offending code and can work to fix it.
In Facebook Fan Pages and Static FBML Part 1 I covered the basics of adding a tab and or box to your Fan Page using the Static FBML app to create custom landing pages and information boxes.
In this article I'll cover using AJAX (AJAX is NOT a cleaning product! AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript + XML) to allow you to get information from, or to interact with, a visitor to your Fan Page without the visitor ever leaving your Fan Page. The operation appears seamless and totally integrated... because it is! If you don't know anything about AJAX don't worry - I'll give good examples.
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Exactly what does AJAX do? It enables a web browser to communicate with a web server without having to constantly reload pages. This communication allows information exchange to occur with the web server behind the scenes and then update the page and information the user is viewing, usually in response to user input.
The example I'm going to use is a simple form that sends an email to yourself. In a real world example, you may setup something to allow a visitor to ask you a question, sign up to your mailing list, order something... the ideas are as endless as your needs and imagination.
Static FBML can create a Tab or a Box in the left column of a Facebook Fan Page. My example is live and working as a Box in the left column of My Fan Page here: www.facebook.com/InternetBusinessBlog - go ahead give it a try, it works.
The image at the top of this article is what the box looks like. Below is the code. The top part of the code is the JavaScript / AJAX portion and it's pretty well commented and should be easy to follow. The bottom portion is the HTML portion that makes the visible part. Basically when you click the submit button an AJAX object is created to communicate to the web server. Then we create a call-back function (fancy way to say a function that the server calls when it's done) to do whatever we need to do with the results returned from the server, and, a function to handle any errors that may occur. Then we tell the user we're submitting the form and we then submit it. That's it... when the results come back we update our page with that info. If you use this example, or follow it, you will need to replace my server and my file with your own (note that it is in multiple places).
So much for the Facebook side of things, what about the code that runs on the web server? Here is the PHP file (in this example: facebook_comment.php) that gets executed to send the test email. This is pretty simple code that just sends an email. The sky is the limit as far as what you can do with your code.
Note: I cannot support everyone out there who may try this. If you run into a particular problem, post about it here and maybe someone will help you out.
The Trouble with Boxes...
Static FBML can create a box in the left column or a full page tab on your Fan Page. You can create multiple occurrences of Static FBML on the same fan page. See Part 1 for instructions for both. One note, I had trouble getting it to show up in the left column. I finally fixed it by clicking the "Boxes" Tab and my Static FBML form what there... Next I clicked on the little pencil looking icon in the top right corner and selected "Move to Wall Tab" and it showed where I wanted it.
Debugging Static FBML
Debugging your code for a Static-FBML page can be tricky. Facebook obfuscates the HTML and JavaScript that it renders so that if you look at a View Source it's hard to read. I use Firefox and watch the error console for clues as to where my problem may be. I also use the FireBug Plugin for Firefox as well to help with debugging both code and CSS.
When debugging, if instead of AJAX handling the return from you web page on the server and it staying hidden it suddenly pops up as a new browser window, you'll know that something with the AJAX call or call-back has a syntax error. If you're really stuck, removed as much of your code and functionality as possible until you get a very simple version working and then add back a little at a time until you find the line of code that is causing problems.
Customize Your Facebook Fan Page with Static FBML (Facebook Markup Language)
What is a "Fan Page"
Facebook Fan Pages are for businesses, bands, products, websites, and organizations. It works very much like a standard Facebook profile in that you can post status updates, photos, videos, etc. For brick and mortar businesses you can configure your location, hours and parking information. You need a regular or personal Facebook page to setup and configure (administrator) a fan page; you can't just have a fan page. You can configure multiple administrator accounts so that more than one person in your organization can update the fan page.
Custom URL for Your Fan Page:
Once you reach 50 fans, you can set a custom URL for your Fan Page. For example: http://www.facebook.com/fwblack - Go to this link http://www.facebook.com/username/ to set a custom URL for both fan and personal pages. Note that you cannot change it once you set it, so put some thought into your URL.
Like vs. Fan
In April 2010 Facebook changed the "Become a Fan" button to a "Like" button. Prior to April, someone could click the "Become a Fan" button for your Fan Page and they would be added to your fan list. Now they click the "Like" button which does the same thing. Personally I prefer the "Become a Fan" button, but Facebook feels the "Like" button is "softer" and requires less of a commitment therefore should increase the number of fans. One of the nice things about a Fan page is that when someone "Likes" you by clicking the "Like" button it is displayed to all their friends that they "Like" you, and that should increase your number of fans.
FBML = Facebook Markup Language
Just like with a regular Facebook profile you can add tabs for different functions and apps, one of the differences with a "Fan" page is you can add a tab with an app called Static FBML (Facebook Markup Language) and use your own HTML and limited JavaScript. This lets you setup custom welcome pages, request forms, email signups, etc. You can even setup a form that submits using AJAX so the user never leaves Facebook. This is very important as part of the "culture" of Facebook is that people don't necessarily like to click something that takes them off of Facebook. I will show how to do this AJAX submission in the next post on this topic.
Boxes vs. Tabs
Static FBML can create a box in the left column of your "Fan" page, and/or, a new Tab.
JavaScript
Facebook FBML does not let you actually use just any JavaScript directly. Instead they have compiled a library of JavaScript that you can use. If you try to use something besides the commands they allow, it will be commented out or removed when the page is rendered.
Images
You can embed images you've upload to your Fan page using FBML, but it's easier to upload images to your web site and reference them from FBML.
Default Landing Page
Once you create your Static FBML tab, you can set which tab a new visitor to the page (meaning a non-fan and a non-admin) will see first. (Once a person "Likes" you, or is an administrator, they will default to the Wall tab).
To set this:
Click "Ads and Pages" in the left column of your facebook profile.
Click edit on the fan page and then
Click edit in the Wall Settings Section
In the "Default Landing Tab for Everyone Else" Select the name of your Static FBML tab.
Getting Started - Adding Static FBML to your page
To add Static FBML to your account:
Type "Static FBML" into the search box.
Click on the "Static FBML" that shows and then
Click "Like" this will make you a fan.
In the left column click the link that says "Add to my Page", this will open a dialog box that lets you select which of your "Fan" pages to add the Static FBML app.
Click the "Add to Page" button beside the "Fan" page or pages you want to use Static FBML, then
Close the "Add Static FBML to your Page" dialog box.
Click the "Home" link in the top right corner
Selecting Box vs. Tab
Static FBML can add a tab and/or a box in the left column of your Fan Page.
Click "Ads and Pages" in the left column
If you have multiple "Fan" pages, select the "Fan" page you want to edit
Scroll down until you see the "FBML - FBML" (or the name of your FBML tab or box) section and click "Application Settings".
From here you can click "add" or "remove" to add or remove the box or the tab.
External CSS vs. Inline Styles
You can use either. Like using external images, you call an external style sheet from YOUR web site. If you call an external style sheet, use this syntax:
In the example below I used inline styles which are easier when doing something simple like this example. In one of my subsequent articles on this topic I'll change to external styles sheets in the example.
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Click "Ads and Pages" in the left column of your facebook profile.
If you have multiple "Fan" pages, select the "Fan" page you want to edit
Scroll down until you see the "FBML - FBML" (or, [name] - FBML once you give it a name) section and click "Edit".
You can edit the HTML code here.
I prefer to edit HTML it in a text editor and paste it in vs. editing in this little box.
Creating More Tan One FBML Tab for Your Fan Page
If you want more than one, you can do that too!
Click "Ads and Pages" in the left column of your facebook profile.
Click "Edit Page" for the Fan Page you want to edit,
Scroll down until you see the "FBML - FBML" (or, [name] - FBML once you give it a name) section and click "Edit".
Below the fields for the box click "Add another FBML box";
Basic Example:
Below I'll give you the exact HTML code I used to create the FBML tab for my pqGallery Fan Page.... I didn't use any of the FBML codes, just regular HTML and I referenced images from the pqGallery web site. As mentioned above, I used inline styles. Please visit the pqGallery Fan Page... and become a "Fan" by clicking "Like" - also checkout pqGalleryand setup an account!
I've included a screen shot because in the next few articles on this, I'll keep modifying the code to create different examples. You can look at the code and this screenshot to see what it does.
pqGallery Facebook Fan Page Static-FBML Tab Example 1, Created using the code shown below.
HTML Code For pqGallery Fan Page Static-FBML Tab
This is the actual HTML code used to create the Tab shown in the screen shot above and on my pqGallery Fan Page...
You know you need to have social media in the mix of tools you use to promote your services, products, Internet business, and web site. It's part of marketing yourself or your business. But... maybe you're one of those people who have to drug screaming and kicking into the social media fray! If you've not setup a Facebook or Twitter profile, you should. It's another way for people to find you.
Like a lot of activities, there's not a direct correlation between the amount of time you spend on social media and the business return you get from it. However you need to utilize social media and used correctly it can add to your bottom line. Keep in mind that it can be a huge time draining activity. There is a danger that you can spend a lot of time interacting and posting and not get much work done. But, that does not mean that it's not a valuable tool.
So what's a good way to balance the usefulness with the uselessness? One suggestion I have it to make short updates to Facebook and Twitter and not spend time playing games, socializing, etc. If someone comments on something you've posted, and you want to respond, then do so, but you don't have to treat Facebook and Twitter like your business phone. In other words, check it once or twice a day and do not jump to respond when someone comments.
A good way to keep your profile current with fresh updates, if you're busy and away from your PC a lot, is to update from your cell phone. If you have a smart phone you can load an app to do this for both Facebook and Twitter. If like me, you don't really care for smart phones, you can use pretty much any mobile phone with text ability to text updates. This makes it easy to send a quick status update each day - you simply text what you want to say to a special number, just like sending a text to anyone. Below are the instructions for setting this up.
Note that Facebook, because they support uploading photos and video via texting, does not support all cell phone carriers.
Facebook
Login to facebook
Click on Accont in the top right corner and select "Account Settings"
Click on the "Mobile" tab
Click "Register for Facebook Text Messages"
Select your country and carrier (step 1 of 3)
Click Next
Text to from you phone to the number shown with the message shown (on my test it was the letter f) (step 2 of 3)
Click Next
You will receive a confirmation code back in a message on your phone, enter it in facebook (step 3 of 3). Note: you may want to uncheck the "Add my cell number to my profile" box.
Once configured, you can text messages (status updates), photos, and videos to the number shown from your phone.
Twitter
Login to Twitter
Click on "Settings" in the top right corner
Click on "Mobile"
Select your country and enter your mobile phone number (you can check or uncheck to let others find you by your mobile phone number)
Send a text message to the number shown with the word shown (on my test it was the word GO)
Twitter waits for you to send the message... it will then verify your phone.
Once configured, you can text tweets to the number shown from your phone.
Success or Failure in an Internet Business Depends on Who's Looking Back at You in the Mirror... Photo by Lee Hinshaw
Success or failure in ANYTHING, not just an Internet Business, depends on your perception of reality. Does that seem like a strange thing to you? Do you think it depends on your email list, your copywriting skills, and your ingenuity in creating new products to sell? No. Those things can be learned, outsourced, bought, etc. and you will STILL fail. The key to success is knowing who you are, where you are, where you're going, how to get there, and the fact that you WILL get there.
Do you think you have all those attributes? You may think you do, but you probably don't. I don't. But I'm getting there!
What's the difference between you and Donald Trump? If you took Mr. Trump out of his tower and put him in your situation without any of his resources or contacts, how long do you think it would take him to amass a new fortune?
They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem... likewise; the first step to achieving any goal is identifying the problems, YOUR problems, that are separating you from success.
Regardless of what goals you have set for yourself, either consciously or subconsciously, your chances of achieving those goals and obtaining success, is directly proportional to how accurately you see your current situation and reality around you. None of us see ourselves, or our world, as it truly is... we perceive it. Our perception skews reality, like shadows on a dark night keep you from recognizing a close friend walking towards you... or an enemy walking towards you.
Take this example (true story) of an elderly woman in an assisted living facility. She's suffering from memory issues. She can remember 40 years ago like it was yesterday, but she can't recall yesterday to save her life. When she looks in the mirror she swears she's looking at her mother and that her mother lives "in there".
It's a very sad, disturbing story.
I believe the majority of people view reality with no more accuracy than this elderly woman. I think when you and I look in the mirror, the image we see is no more accurate than what this lady is seeing. In fact I could be even farther away from truth, farther away from reality.
There are people who are grossly obese who don't see themselves as huge when they look in the mirror. There are other people who are pencil thin, who stick their fingers down their throat and make themselves throw up because when they look in the mirror, they don't look skinny, they see themselves as fat.
Watch a few documentaries on the National Geographic Channel: actions, beliefs, and physical traits that to one culture may be desired and valued, to another culture may be shunned or disgusting. It's all a matter of reality, of the reality a person is living in.
Maybe you're in a bad marriage. I doubt you started the marriage off not loving and liking one another. It's unlikely that when you said "I do" you were thinking "I'll give this a try, but in 3 years I'll probably have an affair with Mike from the office". Maybe you're in a bad financial position. I doubt that you set out to be in debt or broke. Those are common, understandable problems. Maybe you're a drug addict and will do anything, including trading sex for drugs, to get that next syringe full of your heaven to stick in your veins. It's all a matter of reality, your reality.
For you to become a cheater, your reality had to make it ok for you to break those marriage vows. For you to stick a needle full of heroin in your arm, your reality had to make that an OK thing for you to do. The majority of people live in a reality that makes either activity unacceptable.
Most people also live in a reality that makes financial failure the norm. It's reality. It's normal. We follow the well worn path: go to school, get a job, don't ask too many questions, pay too much tax, retire in debt, die... even if you manage to do really well by most standards and retire positive and not in debt, you still spent most of your life working. Why? Because that's our reality.
What's the difference between Donald Trump and you? Or Donald Trump and the disheveled middle-aged man that took your order at the drive-through today? Their perception and expectation of reality. What do you think would happen if you switched places with Donald or if he switched places with the guy in the drive-through? Do you think Donald would still be working the drive-through in a year? How do you think the drive-through guy would handle taking on Donald's life? Both would face tough challenges but I would expect Donald to fair better, much better because his perception of reality is that he's a winner, he's a success, and that he will eventually come out on top. If the drive-through guy possessed that perception of himself he would not be working the drive-through.
It's not only thinking you will succeed, that's no more than wishing. Its understanding how everything you do affects reality. Its understanding ALL the things you say, read, write, watch on TV, who you spend your time with, everything, I MEAN EVERYTHING, bends and alters your perception of reality. And your perception of reality IS your reality - there's not a difference.
We need to start examining our reality with the same uneasiness that we hold for the elderly woman who sees her mother when she looks in the mirror. When we start to do this, we start to see the entrapments that keep us captive.
Who's looking back at you when you look in your mirror, and what problems and limitations do they bring with them?
Moses with the Ten Commandments by Rembrandt (1659)
I was sitting in a meeting today talking about the redesign of a web site to increase conversion. Someone in the meeting pointed to a section of the web page and suggested we put a bulleted list right there, and then someone else asked how many bullets should be in the list... he replied 5 to 7 is max. I kind of agree with that number so I said 7 max. But later I got to thinking... hum... no, I think 10 is a good max.
There's really not a maximum number. There's no rule that says "Thou Shalt Not Create a List of Bullets that Containith More than 10 Bullets"... but that does bring me to my point...
The Best Bulleted List of All Time?
The Ten Commandments is one GREAT bulleted list. Those 10 statements have survived thousands of years. How many people can quote some or all of the Ten Commandments? Even a large number of the people who can't, maybe even most of those who can't, have at least heard of the Ten Commandments. How many copywriters can create copy that has that kind of staying power? Can YOU beat THAT control? (for those that don't know, a "control" is the version of copy or the version of an ad that converts,or generates the most sales, the best).
There's some debate on exactly how many commandments were on that set of stone tablets that Moses came down from the mountain holding... but I'm going to attribute that to our (meaning human) issues and nothing else.
God didn't put any fluff in his bullets, he did waste any words: they were engaging, concise, and to the point. For example:
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
No problem understanding where God was coming from, what the point is, and what's in it for you (or me) is there?
Bullets work. Period.
Bullets work because people skim and jump around and don't spend time reading every word you write. As mentioned above, most people can quote some or all of the Ten Commandments but not the surrounding text from the Bible? Bullets work!
Fancy vs. Plain?
You can dress up your bullets with fancy graphics like check marks or little diamonds - or you can use the standard dots, numbers, or letters. Another great technique to draw the eye to a set of bullets is to alternate bolding the text (bullet one is bold, bullet two is plan, bullet three is bold, bullet four is plain, etc.)...
What Should Bullets Say?
Bullets can, and should, cover the same things that are covered in your copy, they just do it quicker, faster, and more to the point.
Bullets go Bang with Benefits!
Bullets should stress the benefits of your product or service foremost and its features second. A benefit is what results from a feature: for example "Spend More Time with Your Family" or, "Eat Desert without Any Guilt". You may be saying... hum... You shall not murder is not a benefit or a feature... and you're correct, but God was selling eternal life and salvation - a little different from the things we sell.
How Long is Too Long?
I've worked on sales pages that have bulleted lists that were too long. If you have a large number of bullets, break them up into groups so that you don't fatigue the reader. (I don't have any facts or figures to support this claim, but my guess is that fatigued readers don't buy, they move on.)
Don't forget bullets when writing. Bullets reemphasize your points, as well as, pull in readers who are just skimming the text.
Success is not Sticky - You Have to Hold the BALL!
Failure holds you back. If the status quo is not where you want to be in life, then it holds you back. I've written about it here on this blog before. Everything pulls you back to where you are when you're trying to get ahead in life, when you're trying to improve yourself. Your situation, your friends, your family, your debt, everything... maybe not intentionally, but everything holds you back.
Success isn't that way. If success was sticky you wouldn't have scandals and sad situations like Tiger Woods, John Edwards, Brittany Spears... well the list is pretty long so I'll stop. If success was sticky, celebrities, sports stars, and politicians would actually still be role models that we could feel good about our kids looking up to. Instead, failure is pulling at them to, in spite of their successes.
The reasons are different though. When you're in failure mode, your mind is overwhelmed with the situation of failure. Every step can be a struggle. Work two jobs and you're too tired to do your best job at either one, and if you have children, you'll miss spending time with them and that makes you frustrated and angry too. Get behind in your bills and the phone calls and letters will drive you crazy. Constantly trying to figure out how to pay this or keep this on and woops, that check bounced, takes it toll and soon you're yelling at the ones you love the most. It takes incredible dedication and focus to claw and inch your way out of that situation. It can be done. Most don't make it out though.
A successful person does not have these same worries. You'd think they would be able to reach new heights of creativity and productivity with the clarity of mind that not worrying about all those failure things can bring. Some do. Some keep it. A lot fail. The human mind is a very sophisticated instrument. You can walk into a smelly bathroom and after a few minutes you no longer notice how bad it smells because your brain adjusts a few things and re-centers what "normal" smells like. Or after changing a dozen diapers, you no longer gag... and before long you can keep eating while making record fast changes. The brain works against you too. Success can lead to thinking you're bullet proof, to thinking that you can get away with things that are wrong, or with sub-par performance. Success also brings followers, people who may or may not have your best interest at heart, people who want to pull themselves up to you but end up pulling you down.
The key is focus. This weekend is Super Bowl Sunday. If you watch the game you'll see some excellent examples of focus. Quarterback who can keep their cool and look around for an open receiver downfield, and throw the ball accurately, all the while a bunch of 250 to 300 pound (or more) massive, angry, incredibly strong and fast guys are trying to kill him. You'll see receivers look only at the ball as it makes its way to their outstretched hands... all the while knowing that another player is running at them as hard as they can and will try everything they can to obliterate them and make them fumble the ball. All the while thousands of fans scream as loud as they can. You'll see coaches execute their plans, evaluate, compensate, and adjust trying to out-coach the other coach.
If anyone of the starting lineup gets hurts or starts slacking off, there are several ready, willing, and able players on the bench to take their place. If the quarterback throws too many bad balls or interceptions, there's someone to take his place.
The effect of focus and the fact that success is not sticky is easy to see with sports. It's easy to watch a great dancer, an exceptional gymnast, any Olympic athlete and know the years of training and focus it took to reach the top. It's just as easy to understand that if they stop working out, if they stop practicing, if they start eating junk food and smoking, they will quickly loose their position at the top.
What's hard is having this same understanding in others areas.
I've heard someone say that they didn't like the book or movie "The Secret" because it said just think about it and it will happen. No work involved, just think about it and sit down and the world will come to you. That's not what it says. Back to our sports examples: athletes go through very detailed mental pictures of winning before a competition... and no one doubts the effectiveness of those exercises. The Law of Attraction is basically the same thing - get it in your head and then work for it.
Get the image in your head of what you want to do, where you want to go in life, and then work for it. Focus. Focus. Focus. Keep your eye on the ball... you can catch it... don't worry about how much it's going to hurt when you hit the ground... don't worry about the footsteps you hear running to tackle you... catch the ball... don't drop it... when the play is over and the dust settles and you're in the End Zone holding the ball, it will be worth it!
