Need ideas and inspiration for your Facebook business page or fan page? Are you not sure what to do next? Here’s an outline that should inspire some new ways for you to breathe new life into your page.

The MOST IMPORTANT first step you’ll want to think about:

• The name of your site: use keywords
• The type of your site: your selection will determine certain content in the Information tab
• These items cannot be changed later. You should start another page.
• Create a custom image that fits the space that Facebook gives you:
• 200 x 600 max, create collages, get creative, similar to sidebar banner ads

Best apps for businesses to use – top apps you should be using and why:

• Static HTML – Provides great opportunities for custom skins, separate custom welcome home pages, etc. You can have up to 10 separate issues from individual coded areas
• Facebook Notes – The only place to put the blog rss feed where the page wall is updated. Extended idea: Create a Friendfeed account and create a combined rss feed for various blogs, Twitter posts, YouTube posts, etc.
• Ping.fm application for commercial pages. A bit complicated to set up, but the most beneficial app to eliminate unnecessary double work to post information.
• Links – Provides a link to any URL, including an image thumbnail. More visual impact. To activate, create a new wall post and include a link to a web page. THEN it will show up in the Boxes tab and you can move it to the Wall tab if you want.
• If you have events, use the Events app
• If you make videos, use the Video app
• Adding a subscription form for an email newsletter or blog subscription (or whatever):
• Use static HTML application
• Techniques for using images at all times to create that visual impact:
• Photos, photos, photos. Think of advertisements. Use it as front image links that go to your website.
• Copy from website, paste into HTML editor, use tables to organize content if necessary, copy html from code tab, then paste into static HTML
• Image tools: Fireworks, Gimp and even Powerpoint can create an image from a slide.
• Don’t bother creating animated gif images. Facebook doesn’t like them. A nuisance, I know.
• HTML editors: I still use Frontpage (don’t laugh please), but another good HTML editor is CoffeeCup. Of course, if you’re using Dreamweaver, it’s good as gold.
• The best ways to communicate with your Fans
• Link – Send an update to fans – compose a Facebook email, include links, etc.
• Ways to promote your page
• Link: Suggest to friends
• facebook fan box
• Link to FB page, link to specific tab URL
• Mention it on Twitter
• Typical avenues: email signature, website, ezine, blog, email blast
• Facebook Page Ads – Pay Per Click
• The True Benefits of Using Facebook Business Pages
• They are indexed by search engines.
• Provides off-site community building opportunities
• Viral Capability – The more valuable content you add, the more people will comment. The more people comment, the more your own Facebook friends will see the link to your page. The more people see a link to your page, the further your brand will reach.

Settings to remember:

• Change View Settings – Default View for Wall >> Posts by Page and Fans
• Default home tab for everyone else >> Custom welcome home page… or Checkouts tab.
• Fan Permissions >> allow or disallow fan posts, depending on what you want for this site.

Ideas on how to create a crowd-drawing community

This is a schematic I provided to a customer who has a shoe store on EBAY. They wanted to do more with their Facebook business page, but didn’t know what to do next.

Promotion Items:

1) Add images and galleries. This is a must for a site that promotes physical products.

2) Add your eBay store’s RSS feed to the Facebook Notes app. It will automatically populate your Facebook page as you add new items to your store.

3) Create a custom landing page on your site and make it the first page people see when they land on it. You can use the Boxes tab or create a completely custom tab. Lots and lots of images: banner ads, etc.

4) You must include a link to your eBay store in all your posts.

5) Create a weekly/monthly video using images of new shoes/products you get. Post the video on the Facebook page as well as places like YouTube etc.

6) Provide valuable content. Ideas could include:

– shoe care tips

– advertise/review shoe care products

– shoe storage ideas

– things to think about when buying shoes

– a different post on shoe ideas for every holiday, season, or special occasion.

– talk about shoe accessories

– What to do and what not to do when buying shoes

– gift ideas for shoe lovers

– the latest in shoe designs

– what is happening in the footwear industry

– make a series on children’s shoes. The best fitting tips etc.

– Set up a FAQ page for the questions you get asked most often.

– highlight the benefits of shopping on your site.

7) Do you have a newsletter? Put a subscription form on the Facebook page.

8) Depending on how you feel about it, you can add the Reviews app to your site where users review your business, products, etc.

Fun and interactive elements:

Contests: Pick a winner, provide a prize.

1) Have people share their funny and weird shoe stories.

2) Get people to share funny shoe photos.

3) Post an image and have people submit a caption. The selected title idea wins.

4) Create monthly surveys

5) Receive periodic causes. Use http://www.chipin.com and use their widget to add it to your Facebook page.

6) Do a “Where am I?” dispute. Create pictures of the latest shoe in front of something recognizable, like a tourist spot, then give out a few clues, and the first person to post the correct answer wins something. Use Photoshop, or something similar, to create the manipulated image. Or, another twist on this is to have users post “Where am I?” photos wearing the shoes they bought you.

7) How about doing a weekly/monthly scavenger hunt on your business website and using your Facebook page to provide clues as to what visitors should look for on your website? You could even do something where every week you give an extra clue, but the prize gets smaller the more clues you provide. Other tips:

1) Always reply to people who post on the page. If someone’s question leads you to write a new and expanded post, do it… and give that person credit for asking such a great question. Use what people ask you as inspiration for an expanded post of yours. Simply put, give your visitors the content they’re looking for.