Another nifty thing you can do with your Facebook fan page is import your blog automatically via RSS, using the BlogTab application. Here’s how:
Visit the BlogTab page and click the blue “Go To Application” button on the left.
Review the request for permission and click “Allow” to proceed.
Enter your blog’s RSS feed in the space provided, and click “Add Blog”. Note: this app requires an XML feed. If you’re running a self-hosted WordPress blog, this is likely http://yourblog.com/feed. However, if you’re using Feedburner, you’ll need to append “?format=xml” (without quotes) to the end of your Feedburner URL. For example, the Feedburner URL for this blog is http://feeds.feedburner.com/CreativeGrease, but the XML feed address required here is http://feeds.feedburner.com/CreativeGrease?format=xml.
After your blog has been added, click the “Pages” tab at the top of the BlogTab app page. You should see your Facebook Fan Pages listed. Tick the box for the Fan Page where you would like your blog to appear, and then click “Authorize”.
Return to the main BlogTab page and click the “Add to my Page” link on the left. Click the “Add to Page” button for the Page you’d like to add your blog to, and click Close.
Visit your Fan Page: click the “Account” dropdown in the upper right corner of the screen, and select the “Manage Pages” link to view a list of your fan pages. Click the “Go To Page” button directly to the right of the Page you wish to visit.
Click the plus sign on the rightmost tab on your Fan Page to add a new tab, and select “Blog”.
Poof! Your newest blog entries will appear on the “Blog” tab of your Fan Page.
The unfortunate downside to this app is that it only lets you (that is, your personal Facebook account) have one blog feed. So if you have several Fan Pages for unrelated things, you’re limited to only one of them having a blog. (Unless you blog about all of them in one place; in that case, more power to you.)
There’s a thread on the WordPress forum over at LinkedIn about embedding SWF files in WordPress. We’ve used Kimili Flash Embed quite successfully in the past on several occasions (for example, it’s what we used to embed the SimpleViewer galleries here), with the following code:
That’s copied from the HTML tab – I don’t generally use the Visual Editor, so I can’t speak to the output of the Kimili button.
But once I thought about it for a while, I realized that I’ve embedded SWF files in other places as well, with nothing more than some basic embed codes in the HTML editor, like so:
It’s a basic SWF slideshow with associated XML file, but it’s embedded with the help of no plugins at all using the following code:
The code must be pasted into the HTML editor (HTML tab, as opposed to the Visual tab). This blog is running WP3.0, so I don’t know if this will work on previous versions (although I may check that later if I have a moment.)
Facebook fan pages are hip, hip, hip these days, and videos are all the rage. Combine the two? Not as easy as it probably should be. But (as with most things internet), it’s totally do-able, given enough time and know-how. Got the time, need the know-how? Here you go, from beginning to end.
You don’t need knowledge of HTML or FBML to follow along, but basic internet knowledge and the willingness to muck around a bit are required. :)
Preliminaries
Well, to start, you need a Facebook account, a YouTube (or Vimeo, or other video hosting service) account, and a video that you’d like to use. You can sign up for a Facebook account here (be sure to read their somewhat dubious privacy policies first) and YouTube here.
Step 1: Facebook Fan Page Basics
A standard Facebook page isn’t quite enough – you need to create a Facebook Fan Page. If you haven’t already created one*, visit the Facebook Pages page and click the green “Create a Page” button. Select your page category and give your page a name (usually the name of your product or business.) Read and agree to the terms and conditions, and click the “Create Official Page” button. Once your page has been created, click the “Info” tab at the top of the screen, click the “Edit Information” link, and enter basic information about your business.
Next, click the “Photos” tab, and upload your logo or profile picture. Tip: in order for the image to display correctly in both the main logo area and the avatar/icon, the image must be square. View the photo and click “Make Profile Picture for Page”. Your Fan Page basics are now set.
*Not sure if you’ve already created one? While logged in to Facebook, click the “Account” drop-down in the upper right corner of any page, and click “Manage Pages”. This will show you all of the pages associated with your account.
Step 2: FBML
The next step is to set up the FBML application with your page. FBML, short for Facebook Markup Language, is what allows you to add video (or HTML, or pretty much anything you’d like) to your Facebook Fan Page. To add FBML to your page, click the “Edit Page” link just under the logo on the left side of your fan page. Scroll all the way to the bottom to the “More Applications” box, and click “Static FBML”. Once on the Static FBML page, click “Add to my Page” just underneath the logo on the upper left side. You’ll be presented with a pop-up list of all your Fan Pages. Click the “Add to Page” button directly to the right of the page you’d like to add it to; then click “Close”. Read more…
All the cool kids are hanging out at Dribbble.com (pronounced Drib-Bibble, but only by me), sharing their secret projects in 120,000 pixels (400×300, if you’re counting). Not being cool or persistent enough to have my own Dribbble account*, I figured I’d just start here, and post snippets of work that we’ve done that we can’t add directly to our portfolio, and we’re going to call the Drippps.
See what I did there?
So, this is a restaurant site we did recently as a subcontractor. Aside from using @font-face and some wacky textures, the really cool feature is that chalkboard is dynamic and instantly update-able by the user. Dani says that it’s a widget (WordPress, natch). I say it’s awesome.
What do you say?
*This however doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be thrilled to be invited. Really.
Yep, changes are brewing. Over the next few weeks (and months), we’ll be packing up and moving our base of operations from Pottstown, PA to Buffalo, NY. While this particular move is happening insanely fast, we’ve loved WNY/upstate NY for a long time, so when the universe whacked us on the head with a stick that said “Buffalo”, we listened. This is a huge move for us, professionally and personally, and we’re super-excited to become part of the fantastic art scene and amazing culture. (OK, really, I just want to watch hockey.)
We remain committed to our clients in Eastern PA, and we’re confident that we can continue to provide the same high-quality service and support regardless of our location, as our clients across the country and around the world can attest. Our PA number will remain active, but effective immediately we can also be reached on our shiny new NY number, 716.803.6646.
