Social networking sites are widely used for business and personal pages and Facebook is a great place for businesses. Unfortunately, the default Facebook landing page is somewhat dull and looks exactly like every other page on Facebook. Static FBML however, allows the business to customize their fan page and to express themselves as never before.

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Static FBML stands for Facebook markup language and is a custom application found on Facebook which can permit custom images, backgrounds, videos and more to be displayed on Facebook. Like most applications on this social networking site, Facebook markup language can be found on the application tab. Businesses have different needs than personal users and the FBML allows them to insert their own personality into what might otherwise be a fan page that looks like every other page on Facebook.

Adding images to a Fan page and then making them clickable with a link leading outward is also possible using Facebook markup. Adding the basic html code to the box and then linking it outward was formerly impossible on Facebook. The static FBML application however is perfect for the fan page where news is hosted on the main site or product photos can be linked to descriptions on their site.

Static Facebook markup language is an option for some users on Facebook who understand or want to learn basic HTML or who have custom CSS they want added to their page. With this application the raw code without any extra characters must be put into the FBML box. Facebook markup language however is easier to use than HTML because no page headers or meta tags are needed.

As great as this application is for businesses there are a few items that should be remembered when adding images and videos. The standard Facebook template requires jpegs and videos 560 pixels in width or smaller in order to fit on the page properly. Images should be optimized for web viewing and can be resized when they are optimized. An additonal point to be aware of is that javascript will not run from this application.

Image names should be a single name with no spaces. If a jpeg name is two words, a hyphen should be used to avoid problems in display. While an image has no height limitations the larger a photo is, the longer it takes to load and scrolling is not user friendly.

Simple HTML will usually work well in the FBML markup box. It is important when pasting code in the box to close the tags being used and allow no extra spaces. This markup language for Facebook is not much harder than regular HTML but it does require clean code without the extra characters WYSIWYG editors might insert.

Static Facebook markup language has made fan pages on Facebook a lot more configurable for the average business owner. Anyone who wants a unique look to their Facebook pages can use this simple application and add custom backgrounds, images, videos from outside sources and even more. This very popular social networking media is much easier to with the addition of the FBML application.

Now that you know what Static FBML is and what it’s all about, visit how to Make a Fanpage on Facebook.