9 Types of Custom Facebook Tabs You’ll See in the Wild

September 15, 2011 by Kara Martens

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Social media marketers today are faced with more choices than ever. Even the possibilities for customizing Facebook Pages can be overwhelming. Deciding which Facebook tabs to create is part of this puzzle. Knowing your audience, using analytics to understand what is working, and knowing what you’re trying to accomplish will help you focus on the types of Facebook tabs that will work best.

Here are nine common types of tabs you’ll find on Facebook Pages. Each has its own purpose and can be tailored to fit your brand.

1. Welcome: Welcome tabs are a natural addition to a Facebook presence. They are an opportunity to greet new Facebook visitors and steer them toward further action, such as asking for an email to keep up with the brand through a newsletter or linking to other tabs of your Facebook Pages (such as promo or coupon tab) to interact further.

Example: Dingo gives a quick rundown of why pet owners love the Dingo brand and provides a chance to sign up for the newsletter, which offers exclusive discounts.

2. Intro/About Us: Intro tabs provide a quick summary of your company or service and are especially helpful for new companies, Pages launching new products, or B2B companies building awareness through Facebook. (Like Welcome tabs, they are often used as a default landing tab.) It’s a chance to make your Facebook elevator pitch and pique users’ interest enough to Like the page and opt-in to learning more about your company on Facebook.

3. Contests: Sweepstakes and contest tabs are a great way to both create interaction with your current fan base and give them a reason to share your content with friends, which helps create new connections organically. It can also be a content-generator: posts, images, and videos can spin-off from both the campaign’s promotion and user-generated content gathered as part of the contest.

Example: Take a look at a current contest Clorox Toilets Products is running for its “Ode to the Commode” campaign through Sept. 25.

Example: Trilogy by Shea Homes is currently running a sweepstakes across 13 of its Facebook Pages through Sept. 30.

4. Promos/Coupons: Numerous surveys of Facebook users have shown that deals, coupons, and special offers are among the top reasons for Liking a brand’s Page. Offering a like-gated coupon tab is a popular tactic for increasing your fan base. (Tread cautiously, though: Boosting fan numbers by offering a coupon might spike Like totals, but could decrease the quality of your fan base and lower interaction rates if the new Likes you attract are only there for the deals.) Offering an ever-present, non-gated tab you can link to in wall posts and in ads also provides ongoing value for all fans. Add social sharing options to these tabs so make it easy for users to share with friends.

5. Cross-promotion: If your team is working diligently to engage on multiple platforms like Twitter and YouTube, for instance, cross promote. Give customers a way to connect with you on all the places your brand is active.

Example: For Fashion’s Night Out 2011, JustFabulous turned a Facebook tab into a hub of activity that showcased its Twitter contest and live tweets of the event.

6. Topical Discussion: Your Facebook wall isn’t the only place you can talk to fans. Try providing a way for them to discuss specific topics on your tabs with tools such as the Facebook comments module.

Example: Norwegian Cruise Line generated ongoing conversation about their cruise line guest rooms by showing a slideshow of images, paired with a place for users to comment and discuss accommodations.

7. Shopping: New F-commerce and Facebook storefronts are popping up every day. It’s no wonder: 51% of consumers said they are more likely to buy a product since becoming a fan on Facebook, according to a study out this week. Offer a non-disruptive way to showcase your products and include social sharing options so users can share products.  Check out how companies like outdoor retailer Kolpin are showcasing products on Facebook tabs.

8. Live Events: Hosting live events on your Facebook tabs for expert or celebrity Q&A is a great way to hold an event that creates dialog with users. Facebook’s livestream module is a great way to live chat on a Facebook tab.

9. Theme/Content Tabs: Similar to cross-promotion tabs, these tabs can be a way of “reimagining” your content, which Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman describe in their book Content Rules as the process of thinking of new ways to repackage content. Videos, links to how-to articles or blog posts on your website, and other helpful content can create a mini-hub for one hot topic for your customers. Teasing this content in Facebook posts and linking to the tab will give your fan base relevant, timely information.

Example: Outdoor retailer Cabela’s is promoting Cabela’s Deer Nation, a rich content hub on its website, by showcasing it on a Facebook tab.

The right combination of content on your Facebook Page and a good wall communications strategy designed to drive fans back to your Facebook tabs can make your Facebook presence a vibrant place for discussion and increase conversion on your campaigns.

Have any of these types of tabs worked for your brand? Tell us in the comments.

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