1. Target is not only using their custom tab for additional content, they are creating multiple integrated mini-applications (Flash-driven) to tie all their Facebook content together.  If you click the play button on the video graphic, it will take you to the videos tab.  While watching that video, you have an option in the top left corner to become a fan, if you are not already a fan.   Some of the content remains within the fan page such as videos but other content links to applications or products.  Since this is a back-to-school promotion, some of the content links directly to relevant products on Target.com.
   

   ---

2. Hurley leverages the custom content section of their fan page by driving traffic to their web cast Facebook application. This is a relatively new concept to drive people to Facebook for live media consumption.  We first saw it in the spotlight with the Jonas Brothers.   This is a great way to engage your fans and give them a significant reason to come back to your Facebook Fan Page.
   

   ---

3. Fan Woody is a campaign for the restaurant, TGIFridays, that promised free hamburgers if the Fan Page reached 500,000 fans.  The reason the additional content in this fan page is particularly engaging is because you are only able to enter the content AFTER becoming a fan.  There is a trick in Facebook code that can choose what content to display based on whether the viewer is a fan.  You are only able to enter the contest if you have already become a fan.  This is brilliant.
   

   ---

4. Volkswagen created an additional tab on their Fan Page to promote their “Meet the VWs – Analyze Me” application.  This application basically analyzes the your profile information and outputs which of the new VW models matches closest with your interests.  If you look closely at the navigation when you click “Analyze Me” you will notice that you are actually leaving the Fan Page and using an application (note the URL http://apps.facebook.com/…).  This is a small trick so that the user doesn’t feel like they have been directed elsewhere. It works and is unnoticeable to most users.
   

   ---

5. Beth Kanter uses custom content on her page to create an extension of her other web properties.  Skittles tested this concept to the limit when they made their web site an experience across their social networks.  On Beth’s “Welcome” tab you can see her Twitter stream, latest blog posts, Flickr photos and Slideshare Presentations.  Viewers of her page can consume and access a significant amount of content and information about Beth with out leaving Facebook.  This is in sync with the idea that your social properties should provide enough information about you or your company if your main web site didn’t exist.

What’s your favorite or most engaging Facebook Fan Page?

Now that you have a basic understanding of Fan Pages and the basis of why they are important for successful brands, let’s jump into the various elements of a Fan Page.  See the diagram below.

1. Profile Image: when you are on the wall or info tab, your profile image is viewed in its entirety.  There is a trick that if you make the profile image 200px wide by 600px tall, it will leverage more screen real estate.

2. Side profile boxes: here the first thing that is displayed is a tagline box, basic information, your fans and then supplementary content that can be added from the boxes tab.  The tagline box is a quasi status update as you can change it at any time but is designed to have more longevity.  The basic information is an excerpt from the more robust info tab.   The Fans section displays the total number of fans and a random selection of 6 fans.

3. Title, become a fan, and tabs: the title of your fan page in text form is listed right next to the “Become a Fan” button.  This button is only visible for those who are not currently a fan or are logged out from Facebook.  This is also the section where all of your visible tabs are displayed.  Every Fan Page has a “Wall” and “Info” tab which can not be moved from their respective far left positioning.  All other tabs in this section are able to be adjusted and modified.

4.  The Wall or Stream: this is where the activity content of the fan page lives.  Content here generally consists of content posted through the publisher (more on this in #6) or actions taken with the page outside the publisher, such as a new photo or video.  The Fan Page admin has the option to toggle whether they want posts just by themselves or want to allow fans content to be posted into the wall as well.

5.  Advertisements: Facebook has to make money and this is one of their prime sources to do so…ads.  This section on the right is dedicated to delivering targeted ads.  It cannot be moved or adjusted. If you are a fan page admin, you will probably see a fake ad for your own page.  This is how Facebook is trying to convince you to buy ads to promote your page.  Very clever but may trick you the first time you see it.

6.  Publisher: as you can see in this chart, I am now a fan because the “Become a Fan” button is not longer visible and the Publisher is now visible.  The Publisher is where Fan Page admins and the fans contribute content to a Fan Page.  This content can be as simple as a text message or as complex as an embedded interactive Flash element.  Once the content is shared through the Publisher, it appears in the stream.  Fan Page admins can also modify what content their fans are able to share.  For example here, Starbucks has decided that their fans should only share text, photos and videos.

7.  2nd-tier navigation: once you are beyond the Wall and Info tabs, the top of your Fan Page changes slightly. The profile image shrinks down to a 50px by 50px icon.  This icon is a section of the full size profile image that can be selected when editing the profile image.

8.  Additional content and applications: the structure and content of the Wall and Info tabs follow a very consistent protocol set forth by Facebook.  Once you are outside of those two tabs, the variety of content grows immensely.  You can have custom content through various applications that display a plethora of content (ie photos, videos, calendars, discussion boards) and also create your own type of content through something called FBML – Facebook Markup Language.  See this tutorial video to learn how to use FBML to add a sprout to your Facebook Fan Page.

You now know the basic elements of a Facebook Fan Page. Using the resources provided by Facebook to get started and the information I have listed here in my post, you should be well on your way to mastering how to leverage your Facebook Fan Page.