Aimee Woodall
If you have a personal Facebook page, you’ve probably noticed your friends gradually adopting the new timeline format. It’s possible that you’ve already made the switch yourself – and why not? It’s so pretty! But if you own a business page, your incorporation of the timeline is unavoidable. On March 31, the switch was made, so make sure you’ve taken the necessary steps.
We know people love to complain about Facebook changes. It ranks third after “cancer” and “Nickelback” in an informal survey of our closest business colleagues. And, while this will require a little extra work in the beginning and a short adjustment period, we think this new format opens up a world of possibilities.
Featured Content
It’s safe to say that not all Facebook posts are created equal. Some need to make lasting impressions and impose a call to action, while others are less time-sensitive. The new timeline allows you to “pin” posts at the top of your timeline or “star” updates, extending content or images across your entire page. Now your important messages won’t get sucked into the stream or overpowered by other content, creating a targeted focal point for your page.
Cover Photos
The most obvious difference from the traditional format is the new cover photo feature. It’s big and bold and makes old pages look sad and boring, like something from 1997. Select an artistic photo or design that celebrates your brand appropriately – but don’t break the rules. Cover photos should not include prices, purchase information, contact information or calls to action (“like,” “share” and “tell your friends” are out). And don’t even think about incentivizing people to upload your image. You will get slapped by the Facebook police, and they don’t mess around.
Milestones
Storytelling is an essential part of any marketing campaign – or at least we think it should be. The new timeline makes sharing your brand’s story super easy. Now you have the opportunity to go back in time and add major events and milestones in the history of your company (or the world) and feature them in your timeline. So if you were too busy to record your first dollar earned or your company retreat in 2004, now is your chance. But be prepared – you’ll probably get a little misty-eyed reminiscing. Or was that just our social media team?
It’s exciting to see how businesses have already begun to transform their pages and change their social media experience offerings. We’re excited about exploring the new ways to share great content with our network, and we love a good challenge. Take advantage of the opportunity to become an early adopter (not an avoider), and embrace change before your competition does.
Aimee Woodall/Black Sheep Agency
Contact her 832.971.7725 or email at aimee@theblacksheepagency.com
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