In this month's blog we will be focusing on different key Drupal Facebook modules. These free modules developed by Drupal allow Aspedia and other developers to incorporate many features of Facebook that link to websites. These sets of modules are a platform for developing Facebook applications for Drupal. There are many features that can be added to any website for a smooth crossover with a company Facebook account. Part 1 will address the functionality of the like/share buttons highlighting the usefulness and reach a Facebook page can get. The Send button will also be addressed emphasising the functionality that can be incorporated into your website.

Like/Share Buttons

A like or share button allows Facebook users to share a story, blog or page from your website on their Facebook account. When a user clicks a like button on your website, the story, blog or page will appear as a link on the user's Facebook news feed allowing their friends to click back to your website via a link.

It is also possible for a company that represents a business, such a restaurant or sports association, to deploy an open graph protocol which in its simplicity allows Facebook to store the website in a person’s Likes and Interests, giving you the ability to publish updates to the user’s news feed.

The button also shows a count of how many people have liked your page giving you a rough estimate of the reach your content is getting.

Send Button

The send button is much the same as the like button, however, instead of sharing the content with the whole of Facebook, the send button allows users to send the content in a message to a few friends or as a private message. Information ranging from membership, news, photos, blogs and videos can also be sent to a Facebook Group wall.

The send button can be easily implemented with the like button to allow both functionalities to be used in conjunction with each other. You can register your domain and see how many people have sent from your site as an added feature. The send button can also be changed into any language.

Benefits of the Module

The like/share button and the send button both represent different functions. The like/share button is useful in sharing a range of different attributes such as stories, blogs, photos, music and videos, while the send button function is used when sharing content in a message. The message can take several forms either as a private message to a small group of friends or posted to a Facebook Group wall.