How To Create An Incentive For Visitors To Fan Your Facebook Page (Day 17)

The Bait

This is day 17 of the 31 Day Challenge To Optimize Your Blog With Social Media. Yesterday we spoke about getting more visitors to your blog with your Facebook Page. If you remembered, I promised that I’d show you how to create an incentive for visitors who fan your Facebook Page.

_______________

This tactic works similarly to offering a free download to email subscribers. The only difference is that you’re collecting fans instead of emails in exchange for “fan-only” content.

Content is king

Before we get to the technique though, think about the last time you entered your email in exchange for a free download.

If you’re like me, the value of the download was much larger than the “expense” of joining another mailing list. The same thing works with Facebook. In other words, the technique I’m about to show you only works if you’re offering real value in exchange for a new fan.

First, here’s how the end result will function. On my Facebook Page (which I just launched two days ago) I have a tab called “Free Social Media Video Tutorials For Fans”. This tab has hidden content not seen by “non-fans”.

visitors How To Create An Incentive For Visitors To Fan Your Facebook Page (Day 17)

But once the visitor becomes a fan, this tab will display the hidden content.

fan only content

The FBML “hidden content trick” revealed

Using the Static FBML application, simply add the following tags around the content you want hidden to non-fans.

fbml trick

If you don’t want to miss out on the 31 Day Challenge To Optimize Your Blog With Social Media, please sign up here.

Posted January 17, 2010
  • Marcelle
    It doesn't work? What am I doing wrong? I posted all other information between the code but it still shows up. It's a .jpg
  • A URL would be helpful... ;-)
  • Just what I was looking for. With the limitations to promotions on facebook this is the most valueable way to make people like your page... Thank you so much for sharing this!
  • eclipsefullmovie
    Damn! I was looking for that code everywhere... the post needs a little updating since facebook pages changed a bit but most of the code still works.
  • How would the code need to be updated?
  • Karma
    I have a page setup using the is visible and else tags above. So if not a fan, a graphic appears, once become a fan, graphic replaced by form. Issue is that since the form is within the is visible tags, fans always see this form. Is there a way to replace form once the submit button is selected? I have tried the onclick command with no success. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • I would create another Static FBML tab that the user is redirected to once
    to form is submitted.
  • its really helping, thanks

    Dennis
    thelocalfisherman.com
  • Awesome!
  • Great work mate, thanks a bunch!
  • MAN!!! This is awesome! Thanks for sharing John!!!
  • You're welcome, Narek!
  • mikeda
    Excellent, just what I was looking for! Do you by chance know how to hide another portion until someone invites all their friends using the javascript code?

    So: 1) Become Fan, 2) Invite Friends, 3) See Content

    Thanks,

    Mike
  • There's no way to determine which fan invited new fans.
  • So what do you think about this page.. it doesn't show you the content until u do the following:
    1) Become Fan, 2) Invite Friends, 3) See Content

    Here's a link to this page:
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/RED-FERRARI-SMASH...
  • Looks fine to me! What has been the result?
  • You said that there's no way to determine which fan invited new fans, but for the page I gave the link, it asks you to become a fan, then when you are done, he asked you to copy and paste a code into the address bar and press Enter. Once you're done, it will automatically invite all your friends. After that, a third different page will show up which contains the page real content.

    So, the page doesn't show the real content until:
    1) Become Fan, 2) Invite all Friends by pasting a code into the address bar, 3) See Content.

    Is there a way to do it?

    Here's again the link for the page which I'm talking about:
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/RED-FERRARI-SMASH...

    Thanks :)
  • I'm not sure I like "Error Loading Page"
  • Rumana
    I have one question, Can we make fan page as default tab for fan and non fan both? I tried and modify wall settings and make fan page as a defalut tab but it works only for non fan user. When fan user try to view the page then wal tab loads by default, I want to stop it. But don't know how? Will you please help me.

    Thanks
    Rumana
  • Set the Wall s the default fr everyone else.
  • Rumana
    Actually I want to hide 'content which is written for nonfan user' when a user become fan. At this momnet when a user is a fan he can view also the content which is for nonfan user.

    Hope now its clear for you.

    Thanks
  • Facebook doesn't allow that...
  • This may be a new feature (I just started learning about FBML today), but this works:
    ====================
    Just Testing! - Everyone sees this content.


    <fb:visible-to-connection>
    Only fans will see this content.


    <fb:else>
    Non-fans will see this content, but fans will not.


    </fb:else>
    </fb:visible-to-connection>
    ====================
  • mk24fan
    JCrew is showing an image to remind people to become a fan but whenyou become a fan that image goes away. Any idea how they are doing that?
  • Yes - they are using FBML tags to not display content to fans. There is an
    FBML wiki on Facebook, if you want more info.
  • Rumana
    It's a very helpful post, but can you tell me how below section(which is for non user) can restricted for fan users?

    Thanks
    Rumana
  • I don't think I understand your question.
  • That's really a great post and helped me a lot.

    Rubel
  • John, an excellent post and a fantastic idea. Before putting it to use for work I've decided to give it a spin with my hobby. Just posted the "fan-only" content and code. Will make the announcement this evening, and then see what happens.

    For anyone who's curious, do a FB search for "african poetry review" and you too can get access to EXCLUSIVE content offered by some of our poet supporters!!

    (I know, the pitch is a bit rough -- but hell, this is fun!!)
  • hairpulling
    Thanks! But do you know how to leave a message for the non fans that the fans dont have to see so if you are a fan you see the page display and you dont have to see the message to join and become fan if you arent one.
  • Wonderful! Thank you - this is going to be incredibly useful.
  • bencurnett
    Thanks for sharing this, John. Very useful. Bookmarking and RTing now...
  • Thanks Ben!
  • Great tip thanks so much I am having a Fan page being built for my new company and this will work great- now I need to figure the value that I can build into an e-book on Green Cleaning- this will be the tough part. Thanks for the great hack. Awesome this will get shared for sure.
  • Lucas2
    Great idea John! I recently began trying to use FBML and, once I figure it out, this would be a great addition.
  • A hack you're not - but brilliant - yes.

    Thanks!
  • Thanks, Frank!
  • John, this is brilliant! Thanks for sharing it. Can't wait to use it on my site!!
  • Thanks, Marc! I know a bunch of Facebook hacks, but this is one of the most useful ones.
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