3 Steps to Facebook Marketing for vBulletin

[Jasper Aguila]

Looking to extend your vBulletin community reach on Facebook?

Here are 3 Effective Steps on how to go about it.

Step 1: Integrating vBulletin with built-in Facebook Tools
vBulletin Facebook Connect Feature
The built in vBulletin Facebook Connect feature is one of the most effective ways to increase "Registration Rates" and promoting your vBulletin content due to the attraction of connecting the users Facebook account to your site via one click of a button.

Since implementing the tool 5 Months ago, over 850+ users have registered on my community through the FB Connect platform and has made Facebook.com one of the highest referring websites.

Installation
Click here for installation instructions or watch the video tutorial below.

Suggested Facebook Options Settings:
Go to your vBulletin Admin Control Panel -> Settings -> Options -> Facebook Options

Input the following settings for each option...

1. Facebook Usergroup (Create a usergroup for users who registered with Facebook so you can keep track of them and market effectively.)
2. Enable Auto-Register (Optional) - Yes
3. Publish to Facebook - New Thread: Yes
4. Publish to Facebook - Post Repply: Yes
5. Publish to Facebook - Blog Entry: Yes
6. Publish to Facebook - Blog Comment: Yes
7. Publish to Facebook - New Article: Yes
8. Like Button - Threads: Yes
9. Like Button - Blog Entries: Yes
10. Like Button - CMS Articles: Yes
11. Import Facebook Data: Biography - Biography (field1)
12. Import Facebook Data: Location - Location (field2)
13. Import Facebook Data: Interest - Interest (field3)
14. Import Facebook Data Occupation - Occupation (field4)

Step 2: Creating and Designing a Facebook Fan Page
To put it simply, Facebook Fan Pages are a way to connect with your "fans" on Facebook. The more fans you get to your page, the more popular your brand becomes.

Have you ever pondered why many companies these days are directing users to their Facebook Fan pages rather than their official websites? It's because a Fan Page is not just an effective method of promoting products, but also a viable way of gathering a following to your "brand." So creating a page on FB is a very essential marketing strategy for anyone seeking to promote their community.

Creating a Fan Page
Creating a Facebook Fan page is pretty simple and straightforward - just follow this link...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and follow the steps.

or watch this video...

Designing your Fan Page
There is so much flexibility when it comes to customizing and personalizing your fan pages that I can only really provide you vague advice on how to go about it.

Fan Page Examples
The first step to really getting started in designing a good looking fan page is to see how others have done it.

• Official vBulletin Fan Page
• FitDay.com
• RedBull
• Inspired Magazine
• Psdtuts+

Although the designs are unique, there is one common theme across all the given examples - promoting the "Like Button" on the landing page. Create an effective landing page by showcasing the "Like Button" through graphic images; telling your visitors to become a fan.

Creating a Welcome Landing Page
To create/customize a Facebook Welcome Landing Page, you need the Static HTML: iframe tabs (makes it simple to build custom iframe tabs)
Here is the app...

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=190322544333196

Here is a nice video walkthrough on how to make a landing page with it...

As I said before, there is much flexibility when it comes to designing Fan Pages and I can only provide vague advice. Make sure your page is as distinctive as possible, ensure the graphics, photos, images, and videos are precise and clear, with keyword rich content that are welcoming, informative, and very user friendly.

Here are more resources about designing your Fan Pages...

• How to Design a Kick-Ass Facebook Fanpage
• Customize Your Facebook Fan Page: Tips, Tricks, Applications
• Designing A Facebook Fan Page: Showcases, Tutorials, Resources

Step 3: Promoting your vBulletin Site + Facebook Fan Page
So you've successfully integrated "Facebook Connect" on your vBulletin site while creating a dynamic Facebook Fan Page - it's time to promote both! A combination of these said tools will do great marketing wonders for you because they both compliment each other marketing wise.

Increasing Fans to Your Page
To increase fans to your page, you must effectively run a series of marketing tactics. Such tactics include..

1. Site wide announcement about your Facebook page in your forums. (Admin Control Panel -> Announcement -> Post New Announcement)
   
   
2. Implementing a direct link somewhere on your vBulletin site to your Fan Page.
3. Telling your existing Members/Fans to ask their Friends to like your page.
4. Posting Updates (General Prerequisites):
   • Post valuable information regarding your site or something that might interest your fans.
   • Post engaging updates. e.g "Suggest a feature you want for our site"
   • Linking your site (if applicable) to each update.
   • Posting frequency should be relevant to the value of the message. Do not post updates just to post them - else it would look like spam and you will lose followers.
5. Reply to all comments you deem appropriate.
6. Upload relevant pictures/videos on your Facebook page so users can tag them.
7. Purchase Facebook Advertising to promote your page.
   

Increase Facebook Traffic + Registrations to your vBulletin Site
As I've mentioned before, the vBulletin Facebook Connect + Fan Pages directly correlate to each other. With a combination of the above suggestions, plus the ones below, you can increase traffic + Registration to your vBulletin site.

• Implement built-in vBulletin Facebook Like System on your site. (From Step 1)
  
• Link your Facebook Fan Page to your vBulletin site.
• Join Facebook Pages/Groups relevant to your niche and link people to your threads. (Do not spam!)
• Ask your members to invite their friends from Facebook.
• Make the "Facebook Connect" button more prominent. You can design/enlarge it by replacing the Facebook Connect image (located in the images/misc/facebook_login.gif).

In conclusion, there are several and countless ways to marketing your vBulletin site on Facebook - I'm sure more ideas will be released/discovered as both platforms evolve with the web. These tips were just to help you kick-start your marketing on Facebook. The key to a successful marketing strategy is to experiment, analyze, and of course have fun with the product you are promoting!

If you have any personal Facebook marketings tips that you would like to contribute, please feel free to contact me (I will provide credit).

Thank you for your continued support!

[Jaffery]

Jasper, this is good work from you!

[plaza009]

You did a lot of work. Thank you.

[Ace]

Hello Jasper,

Very interesting your post. Thanks!

But, I have a question:

How do I integrate facebook to private forum rather than public?

Let me explain please:

I would like to connect my forum to facebook, but to be a member of the forum is necessary to pay a fee. So the people who see "I like" in facebook wall, should not have access to post directly doing click, but should be redirected to a page to request membership.

Is possible to configure this?

Thank you very much!!

If the forum is fully private (guests can't see content), Facebook Like won't work very well.