How the Facebook Timeline will change your business page

Just like your Facebook Profiles, your Facebook Business Page has changed too. Of course, this means that you need to rethink your Facebook marketing plan and make a few adjustments to your page. To help you out, we’ve already jumped onto the Facebook Timeline bandwagon so that we can give you some first-hand advice about what to do, so you can take advantage of these changes.

Cover Photo and Profile Image

While your profile image can largely go untouched, you will need to upload a brand new cover photo that will sit at the top of your page. Our advice here? Choose something that is high quality, reflects your brand and looks great. You can’t use a cover photo that has any calls-to-action such as “like us”, or any contact details, web address, but you can still be creative. Click here for some fantastic cover photo ideas.

Pinned Posts - the marketer’s favourite!

The new changes will see the end of the landing page, however marketers need not despair: pinned posts are the answer! If you’re promoting a special offer or discount to your Facebook followers, you can pin that post to the top of your page which is a prime location for being noticed for up to a week.

Highlighted Posts

Want a particular post to stand out more than the others? Then highlight it! Highlighted posts will span across both columns and really catch your visitors’ eyes as they scroll through your timeline. We recommend always using large, high quality images on your highlighted posts because Facebook will automatically resize the image. If it is small, it will appear pixelated on your Facebook timeline which doesn’t look very good.

Company Milestones - for the business archaeologist

This is the bit I got most excited about: the opportunity to put all your company history, including from that dark, forgotten pre-Facebook era, on your timeline! This includes your launch year, major highlights, awards, key staff arrivals and heaps more! For the business that’s been around for decades (and occasionally centuries) this will make for a particularly interesting read for your Facebook visitors. For a beaut example, visit the Facebook page of the Carlton Football Club - it goes all the way back to 1865!

Applications

The default landing tab may have disappeared, but there are plenty of applications that will keep your Facebook page bubbling with interest and excitement. All your installed apps will feature in the tabs below your cover photo, the first four of which will be visible when someone first lands on your page, and the other eight can be viewed by clicking on the “see more” arrow. To find apps that will suit your page, I recommend looking at your favourite Facebook Business Pages and seeing what apps they use, as well as how they’re using them for some creative ideas.

Other resources:

• A youtube video taking you through all of the above, and simple instructions on how to set each of them up.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TMBTD0vNYqs
• Download Facebook’s PDF Pages overview, here http://ads.ak.facebook.com/ads/FacebookAds/Pages_Overview.pdf
• Further information from Facebook on the terms and guidelines http://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php