But after that, what’s next?

How does a business differentiate itself from the huge number of other companies with Facebook Fan Pages? Beside just posting links and offering specials in the usual manner on Facebook, why not create a mini website with Facebook Markup Languange (FBML)?

With FBML, developers can create full Facebook Platform applications that integrate into their company’s fan’s experience on Facebook. Full documentation from Facebook is available on the developer’s Wiki:

“You can hook into several Facebook integration points, including the profile, profile actions, Facebook canvas, News Feed and Mini-Feed.

FBML is an evolved subset of HTML with some elements removed, and others which have been added that are specific to Facebook.”

Adding FBML to a Fan Page is fairly simple: Search for FBML from the Facebook search bar, and then click “Add to my page” in the upper left corner. This adds another tab to your page with the FBML application, which can then be edited as desired. A full tutorial can be found at Hyper Arts: Tutorial: Customize Facebook Pages with “Static FBML” application.

If you want to start experimenting with FBML, head over to the developer’s FBML Test Console. You can see what the effects of the different hooks are without publishing it live to your page. There are quite a few standard FBML tags, but you can also define your own custom tags or see a selection of shared (public) custom tags that can be used to add elements such as a Flash mp3 player to your page.

Some companies are even going site-less by using their own domain and redirecting it to Facebook, making the FBML tab their landing page. For a great example of this, see what Katalyst Films is doing with theirs. Type this address into your browser: http://katalystfilms.com, and you’ll be redirected straight to the company’s FBML tab, which then acts as a miniature website right within Facebook.

Another good example of FBML on a fan page is Skis on the Run (which is not a redirect from the domain, but another outpost for the company), which was developed by HyperArts.

Have you used FBML on your Facebook Fan Page? Do you have any other good examples of FBML implementation to share?

[Derek Markham is a writer, a father, a WordPress addict, and social media butterfly who loves to share what's new and interesting in his world in under 140 characters. Hit him up with an @ reply anytime for help, advice, or just to say hey!]

Once the number of people in the social media network gets to be of critical mass, often the network will continue to grow organically — without a proactive approach to finding new followers or fans — because its core group attracts others easier once it’s gained some momentum. And one of the most common inclinations is to follow or friend back all new followers, so that the network size seems large to those just looking at the numbers.

But a large network is not necessarily a healthy network. By healthy, I mean engaged and responsive. If you have 10,000 followers on Twitter, but they only retweet you or respond to you or click through your links very seldom, it may be time to give your network a check-up.

4 Tips to revive your social media network:

1. Engage them first: Just like at a real life cocktail party, you can’t always expect others to begin a conversation with you first. And wallflowers who never respond to anything are virtually invisible.

What’s your icebreaker? Your elevator speech? How often do you go out of your way to help someone else or to introduce people that could benefit from a connection?

2. Drop the auto-follow mentality: Do you need to follow everyone back just because they’ve followed you? It seems as though even the ‘experts’ disagree on this one, with those who follow everyone back believing that’s the ‘right’ way, and people who believe the opposite feeling just as strong that they’re doing it ‘right’. My belief is that there isn’t any one ‘right’ way, only ways that work best for people.

For example, if you’ve followed 5,000 people on Twitter, but their updates are about topics that are not important to you, and you never respond to them or click through their links, then it may not be working for you. If someone is not adding value to your experience, but rather just filling your stream with things you’d rather ignore, it may be time to hit that ‘Unfollow’ button and move on.

3. Unfollow those who never reciprocate or respond: By the same token, if your mutual social media friends (Follows) never retweet you, or send you replies, then one of two things may be happening: Either they’ve simply added you so that you would follow back, and they have no real interest in your field, or you’re not adding value to their network.

If you’re being ‘baited’ (followed to just get a follow back, then unfollowed or ignored), be a little more judicious about those you follow back, and make sure you really do want to follow them, not just inflate your numbers. Unfollowing is not a bad thing – it’s just one way to keep from being overloaded with irrelevant information.

It’s also important to remember to add value to your followers. Sharing other people’s links and info regularly, regardless if you consider them to be your competitor, helps you to be considered a resource for your network – not just a broadcaster who only serves himself.

4. Follow those that do respond: You probably have a group of people who do respond to your messages, tweets, and shares. Those are the people you can count as fans, and not just as part of your follower numbers. Following them back, retweeting, and responding to them is a sure way to build a healthier network.

How do you keep your networks healthy?

[Derek Markham is a writer, a father, a WordPress addict, and social media butterfly who loves to share what's new and interesting in his world in under 140 characters. Hit him up with an @ reply anytime for help, advice, or just to say hey!]

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