Startup Thoughts

If you’re into web development, you’re probably into startups and for good reason.  Many of the best startups are driven by the best hackers aka. web devs.  One startup that I like in particular is Bloggers Compete, who run blog post contests. They basically connect bloggers to advertisers through contests in a win-win situation in white hat blog link building.  They are filling a need in the blogger outreach space – focus on need.  Here are 3 great tips for a startup mindset.

1) Determination – You need to be 110% determined to make your idea/product/service work. Never give in, never give up, keep pushing.  There will be battles along the way and you may even go in reverse sometimes, but stay determined.

2) Passion – Do you LOVE your idea?  Do you LOVE the space that your idea fills?  If not, you might as well just take a 9-5 job and not love that as well.  Passion feeds motivation, and you’ll need a lot of it to get a startup up and running.  Find an idea that you’re passionate about and turn that idea into a startup.

3) Willingness to Listen and Change – You don’t have all the answers.  The quicker you realize that and accept that you’ll need help, the quicker you can get this thing going!  Find a mentor, talk to people, ask for insight, etc.  There are a lot of smart people on Twitter, start there.

How To Remove The Scrollbars From Facebook iFrame Custom Facebook Page

Switching from Static FBML to iFrames sounds like fun for Custom Facebook Pages.  But now you have those annoying scrollbars going vertically and horizontally.  Here’s how to remove it in 3 easy steps:

1) Add Facebook Javascript SDK to your code, right before the closing body tag “” as follows:

<script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
FB.init({
appId : 'YOUR ID HERE',
status : true, // check login status
cookie : true, // enable cookies to allow the server to access the session
xfbml : true // parse XFBML
});
// ]]></script>

Replace YOUR ID HERE with the Facebook App ID found in the Application Settings of the iFrame App you created.

2) Call the Facebook set.size parameter by placing the following code in between ” and “:

<script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
window.fbAsyncInit = function() {
FB.Canvas.setSize({ width: 520, height: 1500});
}
function sizeChangeCallback() {
FB.Canvas.setSize({ width: 520, height: 1500});
}
// ]]></script>
<script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.Canvas.setSize({ width: 520, height: 1500});}
function sizeChangeCallback() { FB.Canvas.setSize({ width: 520, height: 1500});}
// ]]></script>

3) Change your settings inside the Application Settings –> Facebook Integration. Select the option for Canvas Type: iFrame and iFrame Size: Auto-resize

Thats it, you’re done! If your page extends further than 1500px in height, change the parameters in step 2 accordingly.

Further Reading: Learn how to link to other iFrame apps within a custom Facebook Page

How To Link To Other Tabs or Sections in Facebook using iFrames Custom Facebook Page

Facebook has switched over to iFrames for Custom Facebook Pages, and with this switch, developers have been experimenting with new functionality across pages. Naturally, with such a big change, there are some bugs/nuances that need to be discovered. While working on a custom Facebook Page for a client, I ran into this situation.

We wanted to have multiple customizations on the page, each on it’s own Tab (I know they’re not tabs anymore, but for lack of a better word, we’ll stick with calling them Tabs). In Static FBML, if we wanted to link two custom tabs together, we’d just grab the URL and create an HTML link. This won’t work with iFrames, due to the way Facebook displays the links. By default, links will open up inside the iFrame and when using this trick to remove scrollbars from Custom Facebook Page iFrame, the links will not display correctly. Instead, the content in the iFrame will reload to show you a blue Facebook image that then links to the original link you had. This of course adds an unncessary middle-step that breaks the flow of your page.

To correct this, simply define the target of the link, as follows:

(a href=”http://www.facebook.com/pages/YOUR_LINK_HERE” target=”_top”)Link Text(/a)
(replace parenthesis with <>)

That’s it!  The link will now work as it should.

Cener Social Media Client Identified As Social Media Success

The Examiner published an article on businesses’ use of Social Media and identified Cener Social Media client Larysa’s Fit Club as one example of a business that has done so successfully. To Succeed With Social Media, Businesses Need Goals, published January 12, 2011, examines particular uses and examples of successful Social Media Marketing.

The article goes on to describe how has enabled Larysa to further establish herself as an expert in her field. Social Media is a powerful tool to establish overall branding, and Larysa has done just that by branding herself as an expert in all things physical fitness. Her community spans across Facebook, Twitter, and the Larysa Fit Blog and is filled with valuable tips and content that showcase Larysa’s expertise and personality. Her fans and followers gain value from her content, and thus, Larysa gains value back from them. As her community grows, so does her potential customer base, opportunities, and impressions on her and her services.

Read the original article here.

How to Hide Content From Non-Fans on Custom Facebook Page Design

A very popular technique in Custom Facebook Fan Pages is to hide content from users who have not yet liked your page. That is to say, if someone isn’t already a fan of your page, they won’t see the content you set for fans only. This can be done pretty easily, using the Static FBML application that you already installed on your Fan Page.

This is just a basic example, but with some imagination and creativity, you can create some really amazing hidden content landing pages.

It’s important to focus on height when designing and coding the hidden content fan pages. If you want to make your life easy, set both the hidden page and the visible page at the same height. You can use CSS to set a background image or you can just place the image/text right inside the HTML. Here is all you need to make this work:

<fb:fbml version=”1.1″>
<fb:visible-to-connection>
Place Fan-Only Content Here
<fb:else>Place Non-Hidden Content Here</fb:else>
</fb:visible-to-connection>
</fb:fbml>

This would result in non-fans only seeing the text “Place Non-Hidden Content Here” while Fans (those who have liked your page) will see “Place Fan-Only Content Here.”

Going back to the note about height, if you were to create two landing pages, one for non-fans and one for fans, and set them both the same height, you could replace the content with the HTML for the image and you’d be good to go.  Example:

<fb:fbml version=”1.1″>
<fb:visible-to-connection>
<img src=”URL OF IMAGE” height=”400″ />
<fb:else><img src=”URL OF IMAGE” height=”400″ /></fb:else>
</fb:visible-to-connection>
</fb:fbml>

Pro Tip: Try removing the first and last lines of the above code if you’re having issues.
Pro Tip: If you’re the Admin of the Page, you will always see BOTH hidden and non-hidden content so test it out with another account to see how the user would view the page.

How To Add Static FBML to Your Custom Facebook Page Design

It’s the most asked question when it comes to Custom Facebook Page Design. How do I add Static FBML to my Custom Facebook Page? It’s actually quite easy and only takes a few seconds.

First off, why would you want to add Static FBML to your Custom Facebook Page? Well, you want to make it Custom, right? Adding Static FBML allows you to create your own Tabs. What is a Tab? Tabs are different portions of your Facebook Page. By default, you have the Wall Tab (where the Wall is), the Info Tab (info about your page), Photos Tab, and others. Static FBML enables you to create your own Custom Tab to insert FBML to really make your page stand out (We can help, Custom Facebook Page Design).

Take a look at our video tutorial on adding a Static FBML Tab to your Custom Facebook Page Design.

Step 1: Go to your Fan Page
Step 2: Click Edit Page under your Main Page Image
Step 3: Scroll to the bottom and click Static FBML
Step 4: Click Add to My Page, Wait for Popup Box
Step 5: Click Add to Page for the Page you want Static FBML added to
Step 6: Go back to your Page
Step 7: Click Edit Page Again
Step 8: Scroll down and find Static FBML, press Edit
Step 9: Add Content, FBML can be added here. For help with FBML, contact us today at http://www.justincener.com/contact-us
Step 10: After saving changes, go to your Page’s Wall tab
Step 11: Click the “+” Icon on the right, Find your FBML Tab by its Title, click it to add to the page.

Thats it! You now have a Static FBML Tab on your page!

What’s Not Allowed on a Static FBML Custom Facebook Page Design

Every business has come to realize that having a branded, well thought out Facebook presence is a necessity in today’s marketing environment. The main barrier of entry, in this marketing space, is the requirement to learn how to design a custom Facebook Page.

Previously, we listed at What You Can Do On A Static FBML Custom Facebook Fan Page. With so many variations of Pages out there, it isn’t exactly clear what is and is not possible on a Static FBML Custom Facebook Page Design.

You Can Not:
Autoplay a YouTube Video/Video or Flash
Use Javascript (FBJS is a variation of Javascript)
Use PHP
Use iFrames
Use any jQuery/MooTools/JS Libraries
(Coming Soon) Exceed 520px in Width

What You Can Do On A Static FBML Custom Facebook Fan Page

Custom Facebook Fan Pages have become an absolute necessity for businesses of all shapes and sizes. You can no longer rely on attracting customers to your website or shop. In today’s social world, you must go to where your customers already are. With close to 500 Million Active Users, Facebook is, without a doubt, where your customers are. Recent research has found that 67%, or 2 out of 3, consumers who follow a brand on Facebook or Twitter are more likely to become customers. That’s an astounding statistic that marketers and business owners must realize – FAST!

The greatest barrier of entry for a custom Facebook Fan Page is Facebook’s proprietary markup langauge, FBML. Cener Social Media has compiled a list of what functionalities you can include on your Static FBML Facebook Fan Page.

You Can:
Add an unlimited amount of Static FBML Tabs
Embed a YouTube Video
Embed a Flickr Slideshow
Add you Company Logo (or any graphic you want!)
Link to your Company Website (or link to anywhere you want!)
Use FBML (Facebook Markup Language)
Use limited forms of HTML
Use limited forms of CSS
Create an Image Gallery
Embed a Vimeo Video
Create a Newsletter Signup Form
Take Hotel/Motel Reservations
Create a Facebook Style Popup Box
Create a Contact Us Form
Embed Facebook’s Share Button
Use FBJS (Facebook Javascript) to emulate Javascript
Create animations using FBJS
Add a Page Navigation
Create Multiple Pages inside a Single Static FBML Tab
Embed a Flash Movie or Animation
Hide Content from Non-Fans
Set any Static FBML Tab as the Landing Tab for the Page

Take a look at some of Cener Social Media’s work to see some of the above in action!

This list is really just the tip of the iceberg. Contact Cener Social Media today and start marketing the right way on Facebook!

WARNING: Facebook Virus Spreading via Fake Image Link in Messages

Over the past week, a virus has been spreading across Facebook. It comes in the form of a link that appears to be a picture hosted on Facebook and at first glance, it looks pretty similar to a legitimate Facebook Picture link. The link appears to lead to a .jpg, but actually loads a .exe that can exploit weaknesses on your system. If you see any suspicious links, make sure they are from facebook.com as the virus has been spreading with a domain like “album.facebook-photo .info” and other domains that are supposed to trick the user into thinking they are from Facebook.

A real Facebook Image link would look like this: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=67815&op=1&o=global&view=global&subj=202282699383&id=100000683065632

How To Easily Fix The WordPress Redirect Loop Error Without Admin Access

If you’ve been using WordPress, you’ve probably encountered the dreaded WordPress Redirect Loop Error at some point in time. There are a few different reasons why this can happen, but you should first check out your .htaccess file inside the root of your server. If you’ve created a redirect inside your .htaccess file to redirect the non-www domain (ex: justincener.com) to the www version (www.justincener.com), you may be causing the redirect loop error.

Follow these easy steps and you’ll get your WordPress Blog and Admin Access Back:

1. 1) Backup your .htaccess file on your hard drive
2. 2) Delete the .htaccess file from the root of your server
4. 3) Go to your blog’s admin panel and log-in
5. 4) On the left sidebar, go to Settings –> General and changes your WordPress Address and Blog Address to include www (so it should be http://www.domainname.com instead of http://domainname.com).
6. 5) Save Settings
7. 6)Take your .htaccess backup and reupload it to the root of your server

Thats it, you should be up and running again!