Earlier this week, Facebook brought application publisher functionality to Facebook Pages. The “Publisher,” which sits at the top of user profile pages, is what allows users to share what’s on their minds in the form of links, photos, videos, etc. With this new update, application Publisher integrations that used to work on profile pages alone now also work on Facebook Pages.

Now, Page admins can publish richer application content directly to users’ streams, and users can publish application content to Pages’ Walls. As Facebook suggests, this could be used in a number of ways:

• Promote philanthropy, coupons, or sweepstakes. A Page admin can solicit a charitable donation, publish a coupon, or announce a sweepstakes, and the resulting post appears in the streams of its fans, driving traffic to an appropriate tab on the Page or an external site.
• Gauge fan interest. Polling applications are a good way for a band or brand to gather information from its fans.
• Encourage fan interaction. The many artistic applications out there can give fans the ability to create works of art directly on a Page to show their appreciation.
• Host live events. Bands, brands, and public figures all want to interact with their fans and supporters in real time. Use the Publisher to announce a live event and drive traffic to the event.

The addition of the Publisher feature to Facebook Pages is an opportunity for brands that advertise on Pages to present their fans with more compelling calls to action. Pages are a place for communication between brands and their fans, but as the developer community works with the advertising community to implement Publisher functionality on Pages, that communication is likely to become more viral. Pages will become a more efficient outreach tool, and users will experience a more seamless integration between their Pages and applications.