Many people are not going to be happy about this change because it will mean extra work or incurring extra costs to have the pages redesigned.
Facebook says the changes are a result of feedback from developers.
I can’t imagine people will ditch their custom tabs (and they shouldn’t!!), so I imagine a lot of people are going to be scrambling to get their page redesigned.
The question really begs another question – what is your goal for your site?
If you are operating it as a real business where you hope to either supplement your current income or rely on it as your sole source of income – then you need to be prepared to invest in search (it’s often the foundation of your marketing and a consistent source of regular traffic).
You can invest time or money and in most cases, you usually need to invest both.
I think there is someone out there spreading some erroneous information about starting a business online.  There is a lot of the “build it and they will come” mentality – in other words throw up a site and voila insta-business!
While in many ways, it is easier to do business online because you don’t need to set up physical stores and have a lot of the issues you have with brick and mortars, it is by no means a “sure thing” – you still have to work for your success.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying you shouldn’t start an online business -  I am just saying if you expect your business to grow and treat you well, then you need to treat it like a serious business.
So, yes, it will be necessary for you to invest both time and money into generating traffic.
So back to the question at hand – how much should you spend on SEO?
Facebook Fan Pages are a great way to connect with people, build your credibility and ultimately generate leads and grow your business. The problem is most people are making one BIG mistake when it comes to their pages, keep reading to find out what that mistake is. But first…
A Fan or Business Page is designed to promote a business or a brand (if you are a coach, guru, performer, author etc you could be the brand you are promoting) It can be used to share simple information like your business hours, contact information and product/service offerings. It can also be used as a marketing tool. That’s where the power lies.
If you design a fun and graphically appealing Fan Page that is designed to capture leads and promote your business well, it can be a good tool for generating new leads. New leads are the lifeblood of any business.
If you are wondering why they are important, look at these stats and you’ll start to understand:
I am a huge fan of Sex and The City and much to my disappointment; I am going to use their Fan Page as an example of what not to do!
Let me start by saying that with over 1 million Fans you might think I’m crazy for talking about what they are doing wrong, but that is the precise reason I chose their Page to focus on.
Most small to medium-sized businesses don’t have the same exposure and can’t expect to get the same results without effort.
All Sex and The City had to do was post their trailer for the new movie and they had an instant Fan base that grew by the second.
The rest of us need to work for our exposure and fans.
So how do you create a page that is eye catching and compelling?
By default Facebook comes with "tabs" for Info, Notes, Photos, Events, Links, Discussion, Video and the Wall for the page. Those are all great tabs and you should use them – but you need to take it a step further and create custom tabs. FBML is an app that allows you to use graphics and HTML to create beautiful pages that are compelling and designed to capture leads.
Take a look at the Sex and The City 2 Page. You land on the Wall and there are no custom tabs: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/sexandthecity2?ref=ts
Now taking a look at my page, you’ll notice you land on a custom tab that has marketing text and a place for me to capture leads. The page is also enhanced with graphics. http://www.facebook.com/pages/EcomBuffet-SEO/183330465000?v=app_4949752878
The info I chose to place there is helpful to my visitors. I tell them how they can get up-to-date SEO info and how to get a proposal. I offer them a free book (Optimization Step By Step) and I show them how they can follow me on Twitter for more news and updates.
They can then go to the Wall, where they can read tips, advice and links that I have posted. You need to take your page a step further and create compelling "landing pages" to further draw people in. Otherwise your page just looks like another page and doesn’t do as much for you as it could.
How Do You Create A Fan Page?
Please check out Facebook’s instructions: http://www.facebook.com/advertising/?pages
• Have a compelling headline that tells them what you are all about and what they can expect. Promise them information or advice or a solution to a problem.
• End with your contact info, a compelling statement and a nice graphic to cap off the page. This would also be a really good place to end with a final Call to Action. You could also remind them to check the Wall tab or any other important tabs. I test and tweak different things on my page all the time and right now I don’t have an ending Call to Action or mention of my other tabs, but I think in most cases, it’s a good idea – especially if you have another tab that is important for them to check out.
A few key points to remember:
Whenever possible I suggest using a person’s face and not just a logo – people are looking to connect on social media and it’s easier to connect to a face than a logo.
Don’t forget to use Notes to import your Blog -that will insure your Wall is populated with great content.
