How to Create a Custom Facebook Feed in WordPress

Recently, one of our users asked if we could cover how to create a custom Facebook feed in WordPress? You can display Facebook posts from your page or group on your WordPress site to improve engagement. In this article, we will show you how to create a custom Facebook feed in WordPress.

When and Why You Should Create a Custom Facebook Feed in WordPress

Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world. As a website owner, you may already be engaging with your audiences on Facebook through your Facebook page or by creating a Facebook group.

However, all the posts you make on Facebook are not visible to the people visiting your website. By adding a custom Facebook feed you can show what’s happening on your Facebook page or group to your site visitors.

This will allow more of your users to see your posts and will help you get more Facebook likes. If you are using Facebook remarketing/retargeting pixel on your website, then you can show your ads to those users on Facebook as well.

Having said that, let’s see how to add a custom Facebook feed to your WordPress site.

Adding a Custom Facebook Feed in WordPress

First thing you need to do is install and acivate the Custom Facebook Feed plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: This free version of the plugin does not display images in shared links or status updates. For that you will need plugin’s PRO version.

Upon activation, you need to visit Facebook Feed » Settings page to configure the plugin settings.

First you need to provide your Facebook page or group ID. If your Facebook page URL is like this:

https://www.facebook.com/your_page_name

Then you can use your_page_name as your Facebook page ID. On the other hand, if you have a Facebook page URL that looks like this:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/your_page_name/123654123654123

Then you need to use 123654123654123 as your page ID.

If you want to add a group, then you will need to enter your group ID. Simply visit Find My Facebook ID website, and enter the URL of your group in the search box. The website will reveal your Facebook group’s numeric ID.

The next thing you need to enter is an access token. The plugin will work even if you don’t add your own access token, however it is recommended to generate it and add it here.

Simply visit Facebook developers website and click on the create new app button.

This will bring up a popup where you need to enter a name for your app. Provide an email address and then select a category for your app. Click on the ‘Create App ID’ button to continue.

Facebook will create an app for you and will redirect you to the app’s dashboard. You need to click on Tools & Support link at the top.

This will bring you to a page with lots of resources on how to use Facebook apps. You just need to click on ‘Access token tool’.

Clicking on the link will take you to a page where you will be able to see your app’s access token or app token.

You can now copy and paste this access token to the custom Facebook feed plugin’s settings page.

Under the settings section on the page, you need to select whether you are showing a group or a page. You can also choose the number of posts to display, timezone, and language settings.

Don’t forget to click on the save changes button to store your plugin settings.

You can now create a new post or page or edit an existing one where you want to display your Facebook feed. In the post editor, you need to add this shortcode:

[custom-facebook-feed]

You can now save your page or post and preview it. It will fetch and display latest posts from your Facebook page or group in your WordPress page.

Showing Multiple Facebook Feeds in WordPress

Let’s suppose you want to display more than one custom Facebook feed on your WordPress site. The plugin’s settings only allow you to add one page or group ID.

However, you can easily use the shortcode to display any other custom Facebook feed you want.

Simply add the shortcode like this:

[custom-facebook-feed id=wpbeginner]

The plugin’s shortcode comes with a whole range of parameters. You can visit the plugin’s website to see the complete list of parameters that you can use.

How to Customize The Appearance of Custom Facebook Feed

The plugin allows you customize the appearance of the custom Facebook feed on your website. Visit Facebook Feed » Customize page to edit the customization settings.

The customize section is divided into different tabs. Each tab has its own options, you may want to review them to customize the appearance of your custom Facebook feed.

We hope this article helped you add custom Facebook feed in WordPress. You may also want to see our list of 21 best social media monitoring tools for WordPress users.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Create a Custom Facebook Feed in WordPress appeared first on WPBeginner.

10 Best Facebook Tips and Tutorials for WordPress Users

Looking for some Facebook tips and tutorials for your WordPress site? With more than a billion active users, Facebook is the largest social media website in the world. No website owner can afford to ignore the potential of Facebook for the success of their business. In this article, we will show you some of the best Facebook tips and tutorials for WordPress users to help you maximize your reach.

1. Add Facebook Page Plugin in WordPress

Facebook Pages allow you to engage with your audience on Facebook. You can use your Facebook page to promote your WordPress site. However, you will also need to let your users know that they can find you on Facebook.

Facebook Page plugin allows you to add a Like box to your website. Your users can then like your Facebook page without leaving your website. For detailed instructions, see our step by step tutorial on how to add the Facebook page plugin in WordPress site.

2. Add Facebook Instant Articles for WordPress

Facebook Instant Articles is a Facebook feature which allows your content to load upto 10x faster on mobile devices. It uses the same technology used in Facebook mobile apps.

Faster speed tremendously improves the user experience on mobile devices. Users will see a lightening bolt icon on articles available in Instant Articles format. This encourages more users to click on your content in their Facebook news feed.

Here is our complete step by step tutorial on how to setup Facebook Instant Articles for WordPress

3. Add Facebook Remarketing/Retargeting Pixel in WordPress

Ever wondered how you start seeing Facebook ads for websites you visit outside Facebook? This is called retargeting also known as remarketing.

Those websites use Facebook retargeting pixel. This pixel does not add anything visible to your site. It only sends a browser cookie to your users which allows Facebook to track them on Facebook.

People who are already interested in your website are more likely to click on your ads on Facebook. It also helps you develop brand recognition among your users.

For complete instructions, see our guide on how to install Facebook Remarketing/Retargeting pixel in WordPress.

4. Add Facebook Open Graph Meta Data

Facebook automatically displays your article’s title, description, and an image when someone shares it on Facebook. However, sometimes Facebook is unable to show the right image or correct description.

Facebook Open Graph metadata allows you to tell Facebook which image and description you want them to show.

The easiest way to add Facebook open graph meta data is by using the Yoast SEO plugin. Simply install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit SEO » Social page and click on the Facebook tab.

After that, you need to click Enabled under ‘Add Open Graph Meta Data’ option. Don’t forget to click on the save changes button to store your settings.

Yoast SEO will now automatically add Facebook open graph meta data for all posts and pages on your WordPress site.

For more detailed instructions, see our guide on how to add Facebook open graph meta data in WordPress.

5. Add Facebook Comments in WordPress

If you get a lot of comments on your articles, then they can slow down your website. By using Facebook comments, you can ease that load from your website and make it faster.

Another benefit of using Facebook comments is that it helps you get more likes and traffic from Facebook to your articles. Users commenting on your posts can instantly share their comment with their friends.

For complete installation and setup instructions, visit our guide on how to install and setup Facebook comments in WordPress.

6. Add Login with Facebook in WordPress

Social login buttons allow your users to log in to your website using their existing social media accounts. This helps them login quickly and saves them from remembering another password.

To add Facebook login on your site, the first thing you will need to do is install and activate the Nextend Facebook Connect plugin. Upon activation, go to Settings » Nextend FB Connect to configure the plugin.

The plugin requires you to provide a Facebook app ID and secret keys. You can create an app by visiting Facebook Developers website.

For step by step instructions, follow our tutorial on how to add login with Facebook in WordPress.

7. Get Facebook Insights for Your WordPress Site

Facebook Insights allows you to see how your content is doing on Facebook. It shows which of your posts or pages are most liked and shared. If you are using Facebook comments, then you can also see which posts get more comments.

The easiest way to get Facebook Insights is by using the Yoast SEO plugin. After installing and activating the plugin, head over to SEO » Social page and click on Facebook tab.

You need to scroll down to ‘Facebook Insights and Admins’ section. Here you can click on ‘Add Facebook Admin’ button and provide admin’s name and Facebook user ID.

If you have already created a Facebook app for your page, then you can provide an App ID instead of a user’s ID.

Don’t forget to click on the save changes button to store your settings.

That’s all you can now visit Facebook Insights page and you will see your website listed there. Click on your website to see your Insight reports.

For more on this topic, you may want to look at our detailed guide on how to get Facebook Insights for your WordPress site.

8. Add Facebook Author Tag in WordPress Posts

Facebook author tag allows you to display author name with your articles when they are shared on Facebook. The author name is linked to author’s Facebook profile, allowing you to get more users engaged with authors on your site.

Once again, you will need the Yoast SEO plugin. First you will need to enable Open Graph meta data (see above).

After that, you need to go to your profile Users » Profile page. Scroll down to Facebook Profile URL option and enter your Facebook profile URL.

Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings.

That’s all, you will now start seeing an author name when your posts are shared on Facebook.

9. Create Custom Facebook Feeds in WordPress

Displaying your Facebook posts on your WordPress site can help you boost engagement and convince more users to like your Facebook page.

The Custom Facebook Feed plugin helps you display your Facebook status while making it match your website design.

We have created a detailed step by step guide on how to create custom Facebook feed in WordPress.

10. Embed Facebook Video in WordPress

Facebook videos are hot. If you’re sharing a lot of unique video content with your Facebook audience, and want to embed them on your WordPress site, then it is definitely possible.

This process is not as streamlined as one would hope, but our hope is that Facebook will make it easier in the future.

We have created a detailed step by step guide on how to embed a Facebook video in WordPress.

We hope this article helped you find the best Facebook tips and tutorials for WordPress. You may also want to see our list of 19+ free Google tools every WordPress blogger should use.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 10 Best Facebook Tips and Tutorials for WordPress Users appeared first on WPBeginner.

Google+ vs. Facebook: Comparative Review

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id="floatright">Even as adoption of Google Plus by new users seems to be slowing down a bit less than three months after its launch in June 2011, the experts are yet undecided as to who will win the battle for number one place in the social networking arena, href="https://plus.google.com/up/start/" target="_blank">Google Plus or href="http://www.facebook.com">Facebook.

How to Convert Facebook into Your Most Powerful Advertising Tool

alt="How to Convert Facebook into Your Most Powerful Advertising Tool" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/default-image-500x308_c.jpg" />

src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.com/images/2011/0301-1.jpg" alt="Facebook" class="border" />

Traditional marketers and sellers often see themselves going to a place where most people hang out, and that is a shopping mall. They would set up attractive display booths and will try every strategy in the book to lure prospective buyers to listen to their demonstrations, try their products and eventually buy their products. But with the popularity of different social networking sites like Facebook, I am not surprised that marketers and sellers will also exert their efforts in Facebook advertising. If the shopping mall is a place where people go, Facebook on the other hand is where close to 500 million people meet, socialize, buy and sell.

You read it right. This popular social network site is not only the ‘in’ online place where you can update your social calendar, tag friends, post comments and click the Like or Unlike icon. But it is also a place where buyers and sellers congregate online simply because of the reason that it is where roughly 500 million people are registered. So, just like other online marketers and sellers, you also want to try your hand in Facebook advertising and attract even just a fraction of the staggering millions of Facebook users.

Also, with the continuous increasing popularity of Facebook, I am pretty sure that the number of registered users will further escalate in the coming years. So, if you will go for Facebook advertising, an increase in the number of Facebook users is a great reason for you to celebrate—it is an opportunity for you to enjoy higher sales and increased profit. But before you can reap Facebook advertising success, first you need to learn the ways on how to convert Facebook into your most powerful advertising tool like:

Facebook Advertising Increases Your Business Exposure

One way to attain satisfying marketing and advertising exposure to your targeted market is by utilizing Facebook’s advertising tool. Facebook advertising is a recent development in this popular social media site wherein you and other Facebook users will still enjoy the same real-time social updates but you are also presented with different advertisements that cater to your likes or interests.

So, if you will use Facebook to advertise your products or services, your ads will also find its place among other ads placed vertically in the right hand corner of your Facebook account. If you’ll notice in your account, you will see on the right side area a pixel box approximately 110 x 80 in size. It is in the small box where basic information like title of your ads, URL link, image and a brief description for about 135 characters of your advertisement will be located.

Another great thing about it is that the ads you see are not just placed there randomly. Just like I mentioned before, the ads cater to your likes or interests since Facebook take into consideration the pages you visited, the pages you ‘Like’, the groups you belong to, and your interests. So, the ads that you see might be different from the ads that other Facebook users see. Let’s say most of your likes are about pets or travel, then it is most likely that the ads you will see in your account are also connected to pets or travel.

So, as an online marketer, you will want to take advantage of this great advertising tool especially that Facebook advertising is an opportunity for you to advertise your products to your targeted market. However, to effectively create compelling Facebook ads, it is crucial that you spend time to craft a unique and eye catching ad content and design.

Furthermore, the mobile features of Facebook enable your advertisement to be seen by Facebook mobile phone users. This is a powerful feature wherein your targeted market can be reminded about your ads wherever they are. Also, aside from being an efficient and powerful advertising tool, Facebook Advertising is more affordable to use than the usual pay per click advertisements. It is also way affordable that other traditional online marketing schemes.

Increase Advertising and Marketing Exposure through Fan Page

Aside from Facebook Advertising, there is also another way on how you can convert Facebook into your most powerful advertising tool. You can increase your exposure to your targeted market by creating a Fan Page in Facebook. The number of Facebook users who clicked the Like or Unlike icon will help you gauge the level of exposure of your products or services.

But as a rule of thumb, regardless of how many advertisements or fan pages you intend to create, catching the attention of your targeted market should be your first priority. To do this, write compelling and exciting information about your company. Aside from the basic information like business name or contact details, the brief description about what your company offers should be interesting enough to entice Facebook users to visit your site. In short, don’t write boring ads. While interesting images also attracts attention but lastly, once you started your advertising efforts, don’t juts be contented with it. Follow it through and look for other advertising opportunities and possibilities you can explore in Facebook.

Page 27 – Web Hosting Secret Revealed

Ten Easy Ways to Amass Wealth and Friends on Facebook

alt="Ten Easy Ways to Amass Wealth and Friends on Facebook" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/default-image-500x308_c.jpg" />

Facebook (URL: href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/) is one of the most popular social networking sites in the online world and honestly, 9.5 out of 10 of my friends have a Facebook (FB) account these days.  Even me, checking my FB became a part of my daily routine – From the moment I greet the online world ‘good morning’ to the time I say ‘goodnight world’ – I know, it’s a sin for wasting this much of time.

I enjoy a good number of Facebook friends.  With Facebook, I can gain new friends or enhance existing relationships and you can, too. Take, for example, an acquaintance you met during an event or during a party of a common friend, Facebook can link you to your new acquaintance and enhance your relationship with him or her.  More so, you can even use Facebook to increase your sphere of influence and gain business success, but only if you know the right ways to do so.

How To Get Popular (And Rich Too) On FaceBook

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So here you go, following up on my previous href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.com/web-marketing/how-to-convert-facebook-into-your-most-powerful-advertising-tool/">How To Convert FaceBook Into Your Most Powerful Advertising Tool, I present you 10 easy ways to amass wealth and friends on Facebook

Create a Compelling Public Profile. If you are aiming to increase your sphere of influence that could positively affect your business, then ease a bit on the security setting and create a compelling public profile.  This way, you can let strangers stay informed and updated of your activities since in the long run, your public profile will be your stepping stone in creating and nurturing a relationship with people outside your social network. 

Use Tags Sparingly and Only When Your Friends are in Their Best Behavior and Look.Tagging your friends in photos is one way to connect and reconnect with them. Yet posting unattractive photos of your friends may not get the positive result that you will want.  Rather than thanking you, the tagged photos may become an annoyance. 

Make Your Facebook Page Popular and Interesting for the Advertisers.  Having a good number of friends and establishing an influence over them is one way to help you make money.  Whether you are selling your own products online, you can always earn money by attracting advertisers. 

Spare Enough Space for Advertisers.  Knowing the different applications in your Facebook will help you customize and make your page attractive for your social network and possible advertisers.  Also, spare enough space where your possible advertisers can advertise. 

Explore the Marketplace in Facebook. You can participate in Facebook’s online business activities.  You can sell or buy different products or items.  Great thing is, items on sale are with corresponding photos, brief descriptions and other pertinent information that the buyer may want to know.  So, whether you are buying or selling, you can take advantage the Marketplace.

Group Your Friends’ List. You can tweak your privacy settings depending on the set or segment of your friends.  Managing your privacy will help you filter the contents that your particular set of friends can and may view.  This will also help you set the levels of priority and help you wisely spend your interaction time.

Maintain a Regular Facebook Visibility.  It is not enough that you successfully created a Facebook account and gain some friends.  Rather, maintaining a regular Facebook visibility added with interesting posts or updates will help you increase your social influence.

Post Interesting Stories and Updates; Don’t Brag in Your Posts, Too.Updating your status is not simply posting what you are doing, plan of doing or thinking like “Will go to the market,” or “Planning to read a book.”  Don’t you think seeing and reading status like that is boring?  It is.  So, post witty status updates and interesting stories rather than becoming a boring annoyance. Post more thought-provoking status like “Paolo Coelho’s novel, Veronika Decides to Die, will truly make you appreciate life and living more, right?” Furthermore, ask questions in your FB status because this will surely get feedback or comments. Also, don’t brag in your posts. The more you brag, the more annoying you become.  So, instead of giving personal validation on how good you are, let other people say so. 

Leave Interesting Comments on Your Friend’s Stories and Updates.  Leaving comments in your friends’ status or stories will make them feel that you are interested and attentive on what’s going on with them.  It is also a way to let them know that you enjoy what they share. Your simple, short and polite comments will help you establish a relationship and reconnect with even a long lost friend.  Your comments also reflect how sensible you can be; yet be wary of going overboard since commenting too much might spell that you ‘stalking’ someone. 

Post Public Compliments and Greetings on Special Days or Birthdays. Complimenting your friend privately is heartwarming, but posting your compliments in public holds greater value.  Public compliments are like your testimonials; however regularly complimenting your friends will somehow lessen the value of your compliments. It is also equally important to greet your friends or those in your social network during their birthdays or other special days.  But if time allows, spend effort calling or even perhaps visiting your friend.

Page 27 – Web Hosting Secret Revealed

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube – Which is Right for Me?

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Social media is everywhere. Consumers can go from their home computer, to their mobile phone, to their tablet, to their office laptop without missing a social beat. What started out as an easy way for people to connect with one another has turned into one of the most influential communication mediums ever known. Not embracing social media could prove very detrimental to businesses’ marketing efforts.

But, like most people, you’re probably wondering where do I begin? Do I join ever social network I learn about? Do I have to upload videos to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and Twitter every single day? Each social network has both pros and cons (just like any other marketing medium) that need to be weighed against your goals.

Here are some brief highlights of four of the top social media networks (if you want to learn more about some of the other popular networks, CMO.com publishes a href="http://www.cmo.com/social-media/2011-cmos-guide-social-landscape" target="_blank">Social Landscape Chart each year outlining the major networks and their best uses).

Facebook

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Facebook is a destination network, in other words, consumers go on the Internet to go to Facebook and spend time on the site. The primary usage is not a means to get to other sites; in fact most users don’t want to navigate away from Facebook. The site has been developed to be an all encompassing platform (pictures, pages, chat, email, video, etc.) and a hub of all social media (you can integrate nearly every other network into your Facebook profile).

B2C businesses are thriving on Facebook by being where their target audience is already conversing and simply joining the conversation.

Twitter

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Twitter is the most popular microblogging site (messages of 140 characters or less) and, like Facebook, it is a great means of communication. You can almost liken Twitter as a text message to your target audience – any exciting news, informative article link, press release, or even a quick “hello, how’s it going,” can quickly be posted in a matter of seconds for your entire following to see.  

Whether you are a B2B or a B2C business, Twitter can provide a great platform for you to converse with your target audience. However, if there isn’t a lot happening in your industry and you don’t have the means to tweet regularly, a different network may better suit your business.

LinkedIn

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LinkedIn is the new digital rolodex and the best network for personal branding and to position yourself and your business as experts in a specific area. With the ability to both create and/or engage in groups regarding specific topics, you can provide your intellect as a resource for the other group members. Just as businesses used Rolodexes pre-Internet, businesses use their LinkedIn connections to help them with their business needs.

If you are targeting business professionals, LinkedIn is the place to be.

YouTube

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The benefits of YouTube are limited only to your creativity. CMO said it well, “Whether you seek to entertain, inform, or both, video is a powerful channel for quickly responding to customer complaints and showing your social-media savvy.” Not only is YouTube great for communicating and building brand awareness, it is also a great tool for SEO.

Any business can utilize the benefits of YouTube.

Now, there are several hundred (if not more) other social networks with many more being started regularly. If you find yourself become overwhelmed with the amount of social media possibilities, take a step back and look at the overall picture. The best question you can ask yourself is, “where is my target market?” If they are on Facebook, go there. If they are on LinkedIn, go there. If they are on a very targeted network specific to industry, go there. Don’t waste your time and energy trying to connect to your target market in networks they aren’t active in.

Still unsure what network to join or if you are on the right one(s)? Comment below and let’s talk about it!

Page 26 – Web Hosting Secret Revealed

Interview With Daniel, Creator Of Facebook Cover Maker

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With all the cool apps and awesome web designs built using HTML 5, it is now without doubt that HTML 5 elements and visual effects are comparable to Flash. In fact, some would say HTML 5 (plus CSS 3) is even better than Flash due to its light weight and search engines friendliness. In this post, we are going to have a little Q&A session with someone with hands-on experience – Daniel Offer, creator of href="http://facebook.makeacover.net/" target="_blank">Facebook Cover Maker.

Hi Daniel, I am honored to have you as my guest today at WSHR. Let’s get started with some introduction, shall we? Tell us a little more about yourself and how your project FaceBook Make Cover got started.

Thanks Jerry. Well in order to understand why creating a Facebook Cover Maker was an attractive prospect for me it’s perhaps necessary to inform you about the past web activities I have been engaged in.

Several years ago, I was heavily engaged in the emoticon customization scene. Those of you that used MSN Messenger and had the desire to customize your emoticons would have likely stumbled upon emoticons that I had designed or worked with designers to produce.  Thanks to revenues derived through advertising on this project, I was able to pay my way through an Accounting and Finance degree at Warwick University.

More recently, I set up a href="http://www.chitchat.org.uk/" target="_blank">Facebook chat app download by the name of Chit Chat. This Messaging application for Facebook was particularly popular; however, since the emergence of Facebook’s own Messenger application it has become less popular. As such, I was looking for a new project – at the time I was looking to modify my own Facebook cover.

I was frustrated by the Facebook cover solutions on offer; they either wanted to tell me what I had to have or left me entirely up to my own devises. I figured that there must be a better way to produce a Facebook cover that lets me engage in the process- but doesn’t rely entirely on my artistic skills and hence my href="http://facebook.makeacover.net/" target="_blank">online Facebook cover maker was born.

In brief, what can FaceBook Make Cover do for the users?

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As the title suggests, users make a cover for Facebook with Facebook Cover Maker. However, it’s more simplistic than things would first appear, users do not rely on any creative or paint pallet interface to make their own cover. Instead users engage in the development of their Facebook cover by choosing a character and customizing that character on a canvas.

The use of my cover tool is a click by click exercise making use of HTML5.

Can you show us some live examples? (do send in images if you have any, preferably 600px width)

Of course, please see below.

class="border" alt="Facebook Make Cover Samples" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2013/0314-1.jpg" width="750" height=" " />

class="border" alt="Facebook Make Cover Samples" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2013/0314-2.jpg" width="750" height=" " />

class="border" alt="Facebook Make Cover Samples" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2013/0314-3.jpg" width="750" height=" " />

class="border" alt="Facebook Make Cover Samples" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2013/0314-4.jpg" width="750" height=" " />

You mentioned earlier that Facebook Make Cover is built using HTML 5. Why HTML 5? And, can you share some of your advice or reading reference for beginners who just got started?

Why HTML 5

Well, simply put when I came to developing this tool I had a choice – Flash or HTML5. The former is a technology that has wide spread adoption but is difficult to optimize for search engines, isn’t platform independent and is a technology that is gradually falling out of favor. HTML5 on the other hand is supported by mobile smartphones, is growing in adoption and is the next generation of a technology that is universally supported on the internet.

Advice

Before learning about HTML 5 and starting development, it’s important to understand what HTML5 can or cannot do. After all, there may be languages that are better suited to what you are trying to achieve such as PHP or JavaScript.

The websites href="http://www.onextrapixel.com/2010/12/10/31-modern-html5-demos-that-can-beat-flash/" target="_blank">OneExtraPixel and href="http://www.htmlfivewow.com/" target="_blank">HTMLFiveWow are excellent starting positions, to give you an awareness of what HTML 5 can achieve.

Whilst there are excellent HTML 5 teaching resources on the internet, I like to first get to grips with a language with the use of a text book – href="http://www.packtpub.com/responsive-web-design-with-html-5-and-css3/book">Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS3 by Ben Frain is what I used and recommend.

Is Facebook the first of many on MakeCover.net? Social networks like Google+  and Twitter and Pinterest and mobile apps like WeChat are all using the ‘cover photo’ concept in its design, do you have any plans to expand MakeCover’s reach to other platforms?

One of the biggest problems in development is trying to focus on too many things at a time, at present I’m planning to restrict the development of this app to the Facebook Cover whilst I continually upgrade the technology– adding new characters and new functionality.

With too many focuses you run the risk of trying to appeal to everyone but end up appealing to no one.

What you propose is something on the drawing board, but not for the next three months at least.

That would be all for my questions. Daniel, do you have anything to add before we end this interview?

The most important thing about developing is providing a service; the language is a tool for you to provide a service to your end users – nothing more, nothing less.

Jerry’s note: If you are new to HTML 5, be sure to also check out our previous href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/blog/featured-articles/10-must-know-html5-tips-tricks-with-sample-codes/">HTML 5 beginner post for some sample codes and free tutorials.

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Inspiring Roundup: Best Facebook Timelines

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“Imagination is the last legal means of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.” – Pat Fallon

As we progress further and further into the 21st century the claim of this quote is more apparent than ever. Creativity is everywhere from marriage proposals to advertising campaigns to social media profiles.

To advance the trend of creativity even more, social networks are releasing new options that expand the opportunities for businesses to stand out and showcase their originality. Facebook’s introduction of Timelines earlier this year was a challenge addressed to all business to start developing ingenious ideas to capture the attention of their audience.

After scouring the network for the best of the best in timeline design, here is the inspiring round-up of the most creative ideas…

Andrew Grojean

What I love: This timeline plays so well to the controversy of the release. Not everyone loves the new Timeline layout and this offers a humorous jab.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Andrew Grojean Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-1.jpg" />

Ben & Jerry

What I love: The picture of the cows is a great addition to Ben & Jerry’s branding.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Ben & Jerry Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-2.jpg" />

Converse

What I love: The Instagram-like photo collage plays perfectly into Converse fan’s personality. Chucks and faded, textured pictures go hand in hand.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Converse Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-3.jpg" />

Disney

What I love: The iconic snapshot of Micky is the focal point while playing into some of the other fan favorites in the timeline.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Disney Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-4.jpg" />

Fanta

What I love: I love the synergy between the display picture and the cover picture as well as making it an interactive image.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Fanta Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-5.jpg" />

Gatorade

What I love: The image epitomizes Gatorade’s target audience, a fired up, intense sports team.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Gatorade Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-6.jpg" />

Manchester United

What I love: I love that the cover pictures showcases a celebration. It screams pride for both the team and their fans.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Manchester United Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-7.jpg" />

Oreo

What I love: One of my favorite branding techniques involves big brands highlighting their fans. Oreo does a great job doing just that in their daily birthday celebrations.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Oreo Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-8.jpg" />

Pagemodo

What I love: Clean, simple, and to the point. After viewing Pagemodo’s timeline you have no question what their core competencies are.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Pagemodo Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-9.jpg" />

Pedigree Adoption Drive

What I love: This page tugs on the heart string of every dog lover (conveniently that is also their target market).

class="border" width="750px" alt="Pedigree Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-10.jpg" />

Philips Sound

What I love: When I think of audio and sound companies, this timeline captures the picture in my mind. Swirly, colorful designs infused with products.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Philips Sound Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-11.jpg" />

Pringles

What I love: This is a classic Pringles image; it exemplifies their brand personality perfectly. I also love the way they combine the display picture with the cover image to create one picture.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Pringles Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-12.jpg" />

Red Bull

What I love: Red Bull did a great job capturing the essence of their brand’s audience style in one image. Love it!

class="border" width="750px" alt="Red Bull Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-13.jpg" />

Sharpie

What I love: I would be disappointed if the Sharpie image didn’t have doodling – what else do you do with a Sharpie? Clean, crafty, and eye catching.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Sharpie Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-14.jpg" />

Skittles

What I love: Quirky and fun – exactly Skittles’ brand image. The image is so intriguing I find myself checking back to see what they come up with next.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Skittles Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-15.jpg" />

Smirnoff

What I love: Smirnoff put marketed Vodka on the map, it is only fitting that their Facebook strategy would be cutting edge. The image combines three big elements of their audience, top shelf liquor, a party, and city life.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Smirnoff Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-16.jpg" />

Spotify

What I love: Spotify is doing a great job with creatively showcasing their wide digital reach by featuring a clean shot of their iPad app.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Spotify Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-17.jpg" />

Starbucks

What I love: Similar to the converse image, Starbucks grabs the attention of their fan base with an Instragram-like image. Their audience loves unique, original photography and that is exactly what Starbucks delivered.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Starbucks Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-18.jpg" />

Verizon

What I love: Verizon is known for their next generation mobile devices, it is only natural to highlight one of their latest gadgets at the forefront of their page. As a mobile phone fan it is exciting to see what new device is next to be launched on the network.

class="border" width="750px" alt="Verizon Screenshot" src="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/images/2012/0927-19.jpg" />

Side Note

If you like this post, you may also like my previous one on href="http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/blog/featured-articles/easy-facebook-tips-and-tools/">Facebook Tips And Tools.

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