If you’ve been on Facebook for personal use in the last few months, the Timeline version of the profile is familiar to you. Within the last few weeks, all Business Pages have also been converted to the Timeline format. Now the look and feel of a business’s Page on Facebook is similar to what a profile looks like, with a few key differences. Just like with every iteration Facebook has, not everyone is a fan, but for the most part the new rollout has been met with positive feedback. Let’s look at what’s better on the new Pages.
It’s Visually More Appealing
At the top of each business page is now a large, horizontal image. This gives brands the unique opportunity to create visual appeal for visitors. The game Castleville uses this property to display an image of its game’s characters, and Apple displays (what else?) its new iPad. Small businesses find this provides them a great opportunity to show off their products, people or places right at the top of the page.
An Historical Record
The Timeline version, true to its name, displays posts and milestones in chronological order. So a business could post its founding date, as well as other key points in its history, making for a storytelling opportunity.
Better Activity Tracking
One of the best things about the new Pages Timeline is that when you visit your Page, you are presented with an admin panel that shows the people who have recently liked your Page, as well as notifications of recent comments by visitors, and your usual Facebook Insights. It makes it easy to quickly see what activity has happened on your page since your last login.
Highlight What You Love
Another feature I like is the ability to highlight a blog post or status update. You just pin it, and it remains at the top of your page for a week. It’s a great way to drive more traffic to a given blog post or website.
Getting Started
If you haven’t played around with the new Pages format, it’s worth spending an hour or two to familiarize yourself with the new changes. Make sure you’re making the most of your virtual real estate; put an image that best visually represents your brand at the top (and know that Facebook forbids blatant promotion in that image). Forbes has more tips on what you need to know about the new Timeline for Pages, so check that out too.
Susan Payton is the President of Egg Marketing & Communications, an internet marketing firm specializing in marketing communications, copywriting and blog posts. She’s written two books: 101 Entrepreneur Tips and Internet Marketing Strategies for Entrepreneurs, and has blogged for several sites, including The Marketing Eggspert Blog, as well as Mashable, Small Business Trends, FutureSimple, and Lead411. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing.
