Get your creative hat on! Timeline, the newest upgrade to Facebook, is scheduled to affect all business and fan pages on March 30, and the focus is going to be on visual appearance and easier communication. Although the Timeline format has been available for Facebook personal profiles for a while, the combination of the Timeline with the already powerful page format provides administrators with an enhanced set of tools to brand, market, generate leads and communicate!
Here are a few highlights of the new Facebook page Timeline, and how you can create a personal experience for your visitors. You can also seamlessly integrate your current online branding.
1. Cover Photo: On your personal profile, you may be using the Cover Photo to display photos of beautiful cityscapes, beach scenes or your family. The Cover Photo on your business page is now your opportunity to majorly promote your brand and personality. See how the Coca Cola page below has utilized the Cover Page to promote the familiar brand and related the emotions of refreshment, relaxation and enjoyment.
You now have the opportunity to easily enhance your brand identity and personal style through this 850 x 315 pixel image. Think of the personal touch that you want to exhibit for your business and make the most of the Cover Photo.
2. Profile Picture: Tucked inside the Cover Photo is a smaller Profile Picture area where you can put a photo of yourself. Its close proximity to the Cover Photo on the page will allow visitors to associate you with your brand. It is a simple, yet powerful, marketing strategy. Since it is a small photo, it will be easiest to see a tight headshot in portrait orientation.
3. About Box: The same information is available in the About Box that there was before, but there is more space dedicated to it now, and it noticeably appears directly under the Profile Picture. Unlike it does in the current page format, the About Box will not drop down the page below pictures and multiple tabs. It is a great permanent area to display a call to action to your visitors. Utilize this area wisely, filling in the information that you want to show, and put a tag line and website links for your business.
4. Visual Tabs: The tabs that now show up on the left navigation area of your page will now be more clearly displayed as visual tabs right under the Cover Photo. Up to twelve of the applications and links that you currently have on your page will be accessible here, with the first four visible. There is a great branding opportunity in this area, as you can easily create an image as the cover for each of the image tabs. Calls to action such as “5 Tips to a Quick Home Sale” can be made into a cover image for your tabs. These Visual Tabs are also a permanent display at the top of your page, and can be a super marketing tool.
5. Pinning a Post: You will now be able to choose a favorite photo, video or other post to “pin” to the top of your page for up to seven days, and you can change it at any time. Any post that you choose to pin will be moved to the top left-hand side of your Timeline and will be the first item showing in your feed. You can choose to pin a picture of your “Client of the Week”, a weekly poll question, an informative video, a call to action and link to your website, or a custom graphic further displaying your brand. The possibilities are endless!
6. Highlight Star: Another option to emphasize important information is the Highlight Star. Each post has an edit tab that appears when you hover over it. Clicking the star will span your post across the two-column layout, and any photos or videos will expand to fit the area. This is a great way to bring more color and visual excitement to your page! Unlike with pinning a post, a highlighted item will stay in the same place on your Timeline. However, highlighted area will expand to as much as a whopping 850 x 400 pixels, even larger than the Cover Photo! High quality images, especially in the landscape format, look spectacular when highlighted across your page. Keep your eyes out for photo opportunities during your day that can be highlighted on your Facebook page!
7. Message Button: The current page format does not allow visitors to send you private messages. Their only options are to comment on a current post, or create a public post of their own to communicate with you as the page administrator. The new Timeline format offers a Message Button right under the Cover Photo, so visitors can now send you a private message. This is helpful for lead generation, because visitors who may not feel comfortable announcing their needs in public can now send you a private request for more information about you and your business.
8. Enhanced Administrative Tools: The Timeline now offers a much easier way to manage your page with an easily maneuverable dashboard format. A quick view of Notifications, Messages, Recent Likes and Insights is visible to you as the administrator when you access your page. It will be easier to monitor recent activity, view the effectiveness of your posts and communicate with your fans.
This overview should get you started on your journey to new marketing heights with your Facebook page. If you are interested in getting started now with your new Facebook Timeline, visit your page and follow the prompts at the top to preview the new format. You will have the option to publish your new Timeline now, before the March 30 changeover takes place for all pages.
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