Make Your Facebook Fan Page The Easy Way

Until a few months ago, I was not very active on Facebook. Yes I had an account but rarely went to the page and used it. I changed my use because I continued to read the statistics about Facebook users. Several months ago, Facebook surpassed Google as the most used website in the U.S. Incredible that it is more than Google.

I could no longer ignore Facebook. Look at these statistics from their pressroom:

More than 500 million active users

50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day

Average user has 130 friends

I took action in several ways. I made sure that my tweets on Twitter were reposted on Facebook. I do use a little application on Facebook to replicate these tweets but it's not 100% effective. If it misses something, then I take several seconds to cut and paste that tweet into Facebook. Also in a consistent way, I started inviting more people to be my friend on Facebook.

My Facebook friends grew to over 4,000 and I became aware of a limitation within Facebook Friends. The system caps at 5,000 and you can't add any more friends. How could I continue growing my presence on Facebook? The Facebook Fan Pages have no membership limits. With millions of people, it can grow to be a large viral presence on this important social media site. Then I had another question: what is an effective Facebook Fan Page? What does it look like?

I began to do some online research and found some good information such as this article from a couple of years ago about why you need to make a Facebook Fan Page with six good reasons. Also I enjoyed this article about Five Elements of A Successful Facebook Fan Page. Finally I looked at 10 Top Facebook Fan Pages and Why They Are Successful.

My idea began to form about what could go on a fan page and why I needed to build one. Yet what would it cost. I started to do some research and asking around in this area. The prices seemed comparable to any website work. It varied from $200 to $2,000 (yes that is a serious price that I saw for a Facebook Fan Page). My goal was to create a page which was effective yet economical. I wondered how I could do it.

Online I learned about Fan Page Engine, an economical tool for building custom fan pages. I watched the online tutorials, checked the various information then I decided to try the basic package for $37. While their information is clear that the basic package includes two different business templates, I had already selected the third business template which included an opt-in form. I was only on the basic program for a few minutes before I had to upgrade with an additional $30 to the unlimited package or a $67 investment.

What if it didn't work out? On their FAQ page, Fan Page Engine offers a seven day no questions asked money back guarantee. While reassuring, I was more interested in getting a functioning fan page that would do what I wanted to do.

Here's the result:

From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to offer a valuable gift or free Ebook to anyone who dropped by my page. Also I wanted to have a clickable graphic which would take the person to a site where they could learn more about my latest book, Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. It took about an hour to plan and figure out the contents of the page.

With about another hour, I built and launched the page. I am not a very technically skilled writer so it has to be pretty simple for me. If you choose to try the same template that I launched, I had a couple of other tools. First you need to create a header. I used XHeader which you can download and use free. Also for some people the opt-in form will present some challenges. I have been using the opt-in form from my shopping cart. In addition, the ebook that I'm giving away was already created. I used a program called Easy PDF Templates for that effort. I did write two autoresponders to make sure anyone who requests the ebook will receive it.

Fan Page Engine has done an excellent job of providing video tutorials. I would watch a few minutes, pause the video, then execute the instructions and return to the tutorial. I found the instructions straight-forward and easy to follow with lots of flexibility for color schemes within the template.

Please go by my Fan Page and "like" it then please tell others about it. Take action and get my free Ebook. I'd love to hear your feedback about the page. It's my first effort and I have plans to build others since I have the flexibility of different templates.

I wanted to write this entry to encourage you to build your own fan page using this tool. It's not complicated and something that you can easily accomplish in a couple of hours. The exposure possibilities are endless--if you have one and can be promoting it.

A Summer Special For A Limited Time

Schools are letting out for the summer. Families are headed out for some vacation time. I've watched a number of celebrities speaking at graduation ceremonies. The weather is definitely heating up in the desert. We're going to be in the triple digits a good portion of the forthcoming week. Yes, the snowbirds (the folks who come to Arizona in the winter) are long gone and the roads are feeliing less crowded.

Summer is a great time for a different routine and to attempt something new and different. What are your plans and agenda for this new season?

The bulk of my day is consumed as a book publisher and helping authors get their books into print at Intermedia Publishing Group. In my few moments away from those responsibilities, I'm developing a new series of workshops on marketing for the writer. I'm working on a new series of lectures but also a new series of interactive handouts. I'll present these lectures at two conferences in August. The Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference is August 2 through 5 in Canby, Oregon. I will have a small group of writers for my continuing session. Then from August 12 to 14, I will have an entirely different group at The Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. If you haven't scheduled a conference for this summer, either one of those conferences would be a terrific option for your own personal growth.

OK. You may be wondering about the headline for this Writing Life entry: A Summer Special For A Limited Time. The revision of my latest book, Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams, has been available for a few weeks. I've been learning how to make better use of my shopping cart.

Recently I noticed my shopping cart allowed for coupons--yet I had never used them. In celebration of summer and to encourage you to grow in your own publishing dreams, I've set up a coupon code which has a limited time attached to it. The coupon code is good for 20% off the purchase price of the book. When you check out with either the paperback or the Ebook, notice the field in the shopping cart which says, "Coupon Code (optional)" and there is a blank field with a button "apply." The coupon code to enter is: June2010 If you add this code and hit apply, it will take off 20% of the retail price which is the greatest discount available for this book. Here's the limited time part of this coupon: you have to act now or before the end of June. After July 1st, this coupon code will not be effective.

I want to call to your attention, one additional space in the shopping cart that you might want to use. When you get to the checkout screen where you put your payment information, near the bottom of the page, it says, "Comments / Special Delivery Instructions." What goes into that space? If you have purchased the paperback, indicate in this space that you would like me to autograph your book--and give me the name to use. For example, "Please autograph to Jane." When I pack your book, I will be glad to autograph your book. I personally love autograph books and treasure them and I wanted to give you the same opportunity when you get Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams.

Now the choice is yours. I hope you will take advantage of this summer special for Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. I've packed this book with easy-to-apply practical material that could change your writing life--provided you take advantage of this limited time offer. I encourage you to get it today and take action with the summer. Seize the day.

Looking For A Few More Affiliates

Do you have associates or affiliates? According to the Merriam–Webster dictionary, an affiliate is someone that you have a close relationship. Several months ago, I started an affiliate program which is a part of my shopping cart. Some people have signed up for this free program. My sign-up page is simple and can be completed in a few minutes. After you sign up, then you receive an email with your own affiliate number and link to my products. Also you will have access to my banners and promotional emails for different products. Several of my affiliates are actively using their links and earning the benefits of such activity. They are receiving checks for their efforts.

Yet the majority of my affiliates have signed up and aren't making any sales. I'm unsure of the reasons. Maybe they don't understand how to use the links or haven't taken the time to put them into emails or on their websites. I don't have any idea what their particular barrier is to using their links—but I'm working to get this information.

Some of the most successful affiliate programs provide training and sales ideas for their partners. In about nine days, I'm going to provide an affiliate training TeleWebcast. I've sent an email to all of my affiliates telling them of the specific date and time for this free training. The TeleWebcast allows them to ask their questions. I will organize the training around these questions plus give them some innovative ideas about how they can improve their affiliate marketing. I hope a number of these people will be able to attend the live training. If they can't get to the training session, then I will take the replay and store it in the affiliate area so they can listen to it on their own schedule.

If you have not signed up to become one of my affiliates, I hope you will in the next few weeks. And if you have questions about how to use an affiliate program, then ask them during my forthcoming TeleWebcast. As an affiliate, you touch people that I will never cross their path. You can tell them about my products and lead them to the landing page. If the individual buys the book or product, then you receive an email and I receive an email notifying us of this purchase. Then following the unconditional guarantee period, I pay 50% commissions from this referral. It's a good way to boost your passive income and help other writers in the process.