Login to your Facebook Fan Page. On the left, look for the link “Add A Fan Box”.  Now you simply copy the code and insert it into your blog.  If you are using WordPress, here is how you do that.

Login to the wp-admin of your blog.  Using version 2.7 and up, on the left, click on Appearance. Underneath, click on widget. Next, you have to decide which sidebar you wish to place a new text box, left or right. Some blog themes only have one sidebar so you won’t be worrying over this choice.  See below.

Using the text box

Once you have selected the sidebar you want, then you are going to either drag and drop your text box from the left, or just click Add next to  your text box on the left. This depends on which version of Wordpress you are using.  Once done, you must click SAVE before we go further.

Adding Text Box

Now, on the right side where you see the new Text box, click to open it.  Inside, you have an option to add a title, so go ahead and add that if you want one.   Below this area, you will copy and paste the html code you found on your Facebook Fan Page.  Once done, you click Save at the bottom.   After this, you are going to Visit Site to see how it all looks.   You can tweak the size of this new text box if it is running off the screen, see instructions below.

Text Box

Of course, you can use this same method to insert all kinds of html objects into your sidebars.   Most social media allow you to copy the html and use it on your blog, and this is the method you could follow. Also, please see the post on facebook and local business marketing.

“When money is tight, consumers are constantly looking for deals. And, today, that means they are going online to search for better prices, selection and services. If they find them—forget brand loyalty—they will switch to new products or vendors in a clickbeat.

Marketers have four basic search options: paid search, contextual advertising, paid inclusion—all three are types of advertising—and search engine optimization (SEO).

While paid search gets most of the attention and money, marketers are increasingly turning to SEO to acquire new customers.

All four options will experience increased spending through 2013. By then total US search marketing outlays will reach nearly $23.4 billion, and marketers will be spending more on SEO than on contextual advertising. ”

Here are 5 ways that you can use facebook to your advantage if you have a business. By the way, I am in progress on each of these steps as I create this post.

1.After you have a personal facebook account, be sure to put links to your business inside your profile. Here is what mine looks like right now:

Remember to type in the whole URL to create a real link, and by that I mean add in the http:// part at the front.  Also, you can add the URL to specific pages within your site, it does not just have to be your home page that you link to.

2.Create either a fan site or a business page within facebook.

Facebook has lots of help areas within the site to get you started on how to create these pages. The idea is that you can keep your personal facebook account separate from your business facebook pages.   Why would you?  Personal facebook friends may not be interested in the content that you would have on your business pages, and you do not want to confuse the two groups with that content.  My nephew’s graduation photo is not appropriate to my local business contacts, for example.    So, what should you put on your business facebook fan page?  Let me suggest this – search within facebook using terms that relate to your business, and see if you can find some existing fan pages.  Join a few, and watch how they interact with you.  What I take note of also is how often there are updates to the pages.  Please make regular updates to the pages to keep your business fresh in the minds of your customer base.

3.Update your business website with links to your facebook fan site or business page.

This may be obvious to you, however, it is very important that this is done.  First of all, it will increase the SEO factor ( also known as link juice )  to join your sites together.  And, you can gain new fans to either website simply because you do have the links visible.  Also, if you have not done so by now, please do add a link to your twitter account, linkedin, friendfeed and whatever other sites you own.

4.Update your business cards with links to all your social media accounts – twitter, facebook, linkedin, blogs, friendfeed, etc.

Are you using the other side of your business card yet?  This is an excellent area to update with all of your social links, if you do not have room on the front of your business card.   You can grab icons for the various social media sites all over, but here are some various samples and styles you can provide your printer.

Time for an updated business card?  Great!  Run a google search on “printer” and check out the printers local to your town.  While you are searching, take a minute to observe how the local google search works.  Check out the local map, and how many names are listed.  Looking to increase your own local business marketing footprint within google?  Please visit Marketing Local Online to get more detailed info on just this process.

5.Network with other businesses for cross promotions by running a search within facebook to find possibilities.

Go into facebook and again perform some searches for other businesses, but this time, think about what types of businesses could work well with yours as a network relationship or to create a business relationship with.  Be very creative here.  Here is one example -  I know the owners of a greeting card site,  and I referred them to network with a wedding photographer who was looking for resources for his clients.  And, that is another essential tip – when you put your fan page up, please add a discussion area and ask for other businesses to contact you with their resources and ideas.  Please do not underestimate the power of this idea.

Please share your thoughts in the comments area.<–>