Many business Facebook Pages use custom tabs to run contests, offer discounts or give away free content. While you can set these custom tabs to be the default landing page for non-fans, you cannot control where an existing fan lands when they visit your Page. Fans will always land on the Wall first.
Problem: How to Promote Your Custom Tabs?
So the big question is, how can you draw attention to the custom tabs in your Page menu? Those custom tabs are located in the left column navigation menu (remember, they used to be at the top of the Page), and their icons in the left column of your Page are just 16×16 pixels in size. You can give your tab a catchy title, use all CAPS to grab the eye or customize the icon. But other than those tricks, it’s hard to get users to look there for new content.
Solution: Profile Picture
Not to be disregarded, one of the biggest pieces of customizable Fan Page “real estate” is right at the top of the Page, in the left corner, and directly above the tab menu. I am referring to your Page’s profile photo. You have up to 180 pixels of width, and 540 pixels of height. That means you can completely customize a large chunk of your Page, with whatever messaging you like. I am going to share some examples of Pages that have used this space to remind fans of the great content living on the custom tabs below.
Example 1: Happy Socks
In this example, the Happy Socks Fan Page is hosting a contest, and they want to encourage fans to visit that contest tab and participate. They have actually modified their profile image to contain messaging that draws attention to the custom contest tab below.
Example 2: Popchips
The Popchips Facebook Page uses a similar tactic, and they also make sure to refer to the tab (by name) that they are promoting. They have actually completely changed their profile image to match the branding of the promotion. Some brands might want to keep their normal logo in place and simply add messaging below.
Example 3: AutoCAD WS
AutoCAD WS added a small section at the bottom of their profile image to draw attention to their Support tab. They use a nice arrow graphic to clearly refer to the location of the tab.
Thumbnail Image
It’s important to remember that when you change your profile image your thumbnail will change also. You can control your thumbnail (which appears when you post on the Wall) when you change your profile image. Look for that link that says “Edit Thumbnail.”
We recommend reserving a square portion of your picture for your company or organization’s logo. This will not change, but the messaging below can be altered based on your current promotions. But keeping that logo means that your brand’s visual identity stays intact even when you are refreshing your messaging.
I would love to see more examples of this type of Profile Picture optimization, so post a link to your examples in the comments, or visit the HyperArts Facebook Page and share your link there!
