Facebook has not only become a space for people to connect and network but it has also become another avenue for businesses and organizations to connect, network and promote their business or website to their target audience.
One of the tools that Facebook has made available to help connect with your audience is via Facebook fan pages.
Many businesses and websites are setting up fan pages, and then thinking that they are suddenly going to have all these fans and create all these results from their so called "Social Networking Strategy".
Nothing could be further from the truth, as there are some very strategic things you can do to make sure that your new fan page is an effective part of your overall marketing.
Firstly, it does not cost anything for you to create your page, but I would recommend having a professional website design company or designer with skills in creating these pages create this for you.
Remember this is still an extension of your business and brand, so make sure it is professionally done.
The following are some of the elements that will make your page work even more effectively for your business.

1. Use a simple page title such as your business name or something else that clearly describes what you do.
   If you do not have a strong brand name that people are likely to search for, sometimes one of the best things to do, is actually use keywords in the page title that targets your primary audience.
   This will mean that anyone searching for those terms on Facebook will be more likely to find your fan page and "like" it.
   
2. Making your page interactive and graphically appealing are two of the most important ways to attract new fans.
   Making it interactive can easily be done with Facebook's Application Directory that has a wide-range of applications that can be added to your page with a couple clicks.
   You can link your other social media channels into the mix too, by using applications for Twitter and Youtube.
   Putting interactive applications on your page gives users a reason to not just become fans, but to continually visit and interact on your page.
   
3. Along with making it interactive, it's important to give it some personality by making it look attractive.
   Facebook allows you to upload a logo or photo for your page, but that just isn't enough.
   Give your page some flare.
   Put a sharp graphic linking to your website or a flashy banner along the side bar that promotes a contest or other campaigns you are promoting.
   This gives you the chance to integrate your other marketing channels as well.
   With the FBML application in Facebook, you can really get creative in what you setup.
   Create a "welcome", which you can set to be the tab people see when they visit your page for the first time.
   And remember to build in a message in there, even if it is just an image, then indicates what you want them to do - that is "Like" your page.
   
4. Join in on the conversations that happen on your fan page wall.
   People have chosen to become fans of your business or brand and love to know that a real person is watching and listening to what they have to say.
   Make sure you stay on top of this, and possibly even include things like contests or simple questions / surveys to keep people engaged, but at the same time gathering valuable information about your potential customers.
   
5. Keep your page updated, fresh, and interesting with both content and interactive components, like video to give your fans a reason to come back to your page.
   Be willing to make changes and add features that your fans are asking for.
   They are major contributors to making your Page successful, so let them participate in its design and operation.
   After all, this is really what social networking is all about - letting your community on Facebook get involved and allowing them to become more engaged with your business or brand.