Facebook Apps For SMBs That Actually Work

Many small business owners may think of Facebook marketing as over hyped, but Lisa Barone finds six social media marketing applications that can actually pay dividends.

"I know what you’re thinking. The phrase 'Facebook applications' makes you break out into a Farmville-induced sweat, but not all Facebook applications were created in a sea of vapid. Some have real business uses and can help small business owners increase their Facebook marketing opportunities. Don’t believe me? Below are a few of my favorite business-oriented Facebook applications that can assist your business with better branding, better promotion and even better customer intel.

Static FBML I mentioned this application a few months back in my Facebook SEO post; however, I don’t think its marketing power can be stressed enough. What the Static FBML application does is allow you to create a custom landing page for your visitors to land on. This way instead of having users land on a page that looks and feels like Yet Another Boring Fan Page, you can shape their experience to make it one that engages and sells. The Static FBML application can be a little tricky to set up, so I recommend you read Jesse Stay’s FBML tutorial on Techipedia. He does such a great job breaking it down that even I could do it after that lesson."