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c h a p t e r7:Month 4: AdvAnced tActics And cAMpAign integrAtion■Applications created by Facebook typically have a logo with a similar appear-
ance to the one in Figure 7.2, with the Facebook logo at the bottom of the application’s
logo. this is the easiest way to tell whether an application was created by Facebook.
it’s an important distinction only insofar as these apps cover the most common sce-
narios and tend to get the most usage. so, they are generally mature applications that
you can rely upon.Figure 7.2 Discussion group logosome but not all of the functionality provided by these applications can be
found in Facebook groups. You cannot embed a Facebook application of any kind in a
Facebook group. You typically can include any of your applications on your fan page
or profile with some minor configuration.
even though Facebook offers a wide range of useful applications for many com-
mon marketing scenarios, it doesn’t offer everything you may find useful for your specific
situation. this is where third-party applications fit in—they can give you the quickest
and most impactful new capabilities for sharing or gathering information from your fans
or friends. Usually integration is a series of self-serve steps that don’t require significant
intervention, so you can try an app without assistance from your more technical col-
leagues. in many cases, third-party applications can be a great alternative to the time and
expense of building your own Facebook application, which we’ll cover in chapter 8.
one of our favorite such applications (and one we’ve used several times for cli-
ents) is one of a number of polling applications. these apps help you run a simple sur-
vey on a Facebook fan page or profile and get feedback from visitors. Although a poll
application isn’t necessarily the best way to get statistically valid data, it is a quick way
to get feedback to structured questions.
Facebook once offered its own polls application but quietly removed it in late- several third-party application developers have created replacement poll
applications to fill the void. the poll application (www.facebook.com/apps/application
.php?id=20678178440) works reasonably well for limited purposes and has a large user
base. others may be a better fit for your specific situation, such as involver’s poll app
(http://involver.com/gallery.html).
these are some other third-party apps you may want to install on your fan page:
Networked Blogs this app allows you to import your regular blog. it can be installed on
your personal profile too, and comments port between your profile and fan page (see
http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks)..)