This list is always a work in progress, but I wanted to share with my readers some of my favorites. Feel free to add your own in the comments. I’m always up for learning new ways to simplify business.
APPS FOR CREATING CUSTOM PAGE TABS
22 Social is hands down my favorite! The possibilities are endless. It is not free, but you can try it free for 14 days. Their pro plan is $22 a month, or you can pay $222 per year and get 2 months free. I host almost all the apps on my Facebook page through 22 Social, especially my live webinars and virtual parties. For more info on how 22 Social can help you grow your business on Facebook, click here.
Woobox is a flexible Facebook app that has some free options for things like HTML Fangate, which is nice. The paid plans for contests and other features start as low as $1/month. But Woobox has great some free options that are great for beginners just getting started with Facebook apps. Check out THIS VIDEO on how to set up a catalog tab for free using Woobox.
ShortStack is another nifty app. It’s very versatile. You can create your own widgets or use their pre-built templates and themes to create something that looks great. The nice thing about ShortStack is that it’s free for pages with fewer than 2000 fans. Another great option for smaller businesses just getting started with Facebook marketing.
Pagemodo is a very affordable app that offers a variety of templates and themes to choose from. They offer a free plan for one tab on one page, a paid version (starting at $6.25/month) for three tabs on each page, a their Pro version ($13.25/month) for unlimited number of tabs.
TabSite is another multifaceted tab app where you can run contests, deals, bring in other social feeds and create a custom tab. There’s a free option for two tabs on one page (restrictions apply) or plans starting at an affordable $10/month.
Heyo is a drag-and-drop application that’s very easy to set up. You can insert a background photo or create a solid fill background and drop in videos, links, text or whatever else you can dream up for your custom tab. They recently announce a brand new integration with email marketing service provider MailChimp. This Heyo MailChimp integration features two new powerful tools: Premium Templates that send new leads straight to your MailChimp list and a customizable MailChimp widget. Plans start at $25/month with a free trial.
North Social by Vocus is a fully integrated marketing suite that combines Facebook marketing with coordinated campaigns, leads and measurable results.
Static HTML – Thunderpenny is a free app with a few useful features. You can choose to pull a website right into the Facebook app. You can also just upload a single image. This is a handy feature if you have designed a flyer or something else you want to showcase.
TabFoundry is a very handy drag-and-drop free app. You can add background graphics or colors, add multimedia and use HTML if you prefer. If you want to unlock some of the features in the Premium plan, it’s just $9/month.
A few others to consider are Landable, iFrame Apps, Fan Appz, and Issuu (allows you to embed a full catalog on you Facebook Page).
FREE CONTEST APPS
Contest Capture is an easy, free tool that lets you keep track of contest entries via Likes and Comments on a Post and export them into a .csv file. You can then randomly select your winner by entering the total number of lines from your exported file onto a site like random.org. Easy and free!
Woobox is another great option for running a contest. Selecting a winner by way of commenting or liking a post is one of their free tools. Watch THIS VIDEO to see how to do it.
Check out this blog post on how to administer a free contest on Facebook and the rules you need to be aware of.
For more advanced (most not free) contest options, here are some other recommended apps:
OfferPop
ShortStack
Strutta
Wildfire
Fanappz
Vitrue
BuddyMedia
Votigo
ContextOptional
BulbStorm
NorthSocial
Momentus Media
Friend2Friend
PromoBoxx
POST SCHEDULING AND AUTOMATION
PostPlanner is my number one pick! Using PostPlanner is like having your very own marketing team on demand. With their powerhouse Post Scheduler you will free up 2 hours of time daily. But even better is their Status Ideas & Content Engine that ensures you will never run out of Like-worthy Posts. I don’t always like to pay for apps, but this one is worth every penny. Try it free by clicking HERE and test it out for yourself.
There are more, but these are some of my favorites!
CONTENT CURATION TOOLS
PostPlanner is definitely on this list (see above). It provides an easy way to find high-quality, niche-specific content for Facebook.
Content Gems monitors the best online sources, including 200,000+ news sources, blogs, and social media accounts, and filters the results based on your keywords, social signals, and more.
Spundge lets you easily discover, filte, curate, and create relevant content.
All Top is a collection of all the top headlines from popular topics around the web.
Feedlyconnects you to the knowledge and creativity you need to become better at what you do. Get started by finding and following 3 sites you love to read.
Scoop.it helps you discover incredible content through smart searches.
Paper.li automatically finds, publishes & promotes engaging articles, photos and videos from across the web
SocialMention is a social media search engine that searches user-generated content such as blogs, comments, bookmarks, events, news, videos, and microblogging services.
Klout is an innovative influence measurer.
PERFORMANCE TRACKING & CONTENT GENERATING TOOLS
PostPlanner is definitely on this list (see above).
Agora Pulse offers an HTML app, as well as other content apps, but is also a great free analytics tool.
SocialMention is an incredible search engine tool.
Klout is an innovative influence measurer.
HootSuite is not only a great social media manager and scheduling app but also great for gathering social media metrics. It’s is an essential tool for managing social networks by allowing users to efficiently track conversations and measure campaign results.
SparkNode is another great tool and offers cloud based hosting.
Is your favorite not on the list? Be sure to mention it in the comments. And be sure to check out my list of recommended MOBILE APPS (<-click link).