
Are you concerned about your Facebook business page changing to the new Timeline layout later this month? Or, are you ready to embrace the change? I have to admit, I was a little {okay, a lot} leery at first. But, the more I learn about it and its advantages, the more I like it. I took the plunge and changed my page over this morning. Take a look. However, I didn’t make the change without educating myself first. This week on the blog, I’m going to cover the changes and make sure you know what you need to know to make them work to your advantage.
First, let’s discuss the new cover photo and all of its glory. To me, it was quite intimidating when I saw how big it was. Then, came the thought process of what I was going to put there. In a competitive business world of first impressions, the ‘above the fold’ presence on your page is everything!
This is what your cover image is and should be:
- An image sized at 850x315 pixels
- Attention grabbing and vivid
- Something that accurately represents your brand
These are the things you CAN’T include on your cover image:
- Website address or contact information {save that for your About Us page}
- Pricing or sales promotions
- The call to action words ‘like’ or ‘share’
Your cover photo should be just that, a photo. It should not be entirely made up of text. It also should not infringe on anyone’s copyright or trademark. Facebook has done it before and they will shut down your page for not abiding by these guidelines.
For those of you with product based businesses, this is a great way to get your product seen by others. This is going to put a big emphasis on product images and photography. For a service based business, the image might be a little more tricky, but the key is to be creative. {See below how we can help with that!}
If you scroll down ever so slightly on your new page, the cover photo is gone. It’s large, but it doesn’t take long to look past it. So, although that is a very important piece of your branding strategy, you also have to pay serious attention to what is displayed below it.
Directly below the cover image is a new, horizontal strip of information. To the very left is your page’s category and about information. The category you fall into will dictate some of the other options for what appears in this strip. For instance, if you’re a local business, a map application will appear to the right.
Directly to the right of the category and about, are your photos. You cannot move this, it always will appear there. The most recent photo you’ve uploaded will show in the application box, which means you have the ability to control what is seen there. The rest of the boxes to the right {and below using the little drop down button} are other custom applications that you use on your page. You have the ability to change their order and control what others see at first glance. Although the new Timeline has gotten rid of landing pages {you automatically are directed to a brand’s Timeline now} custom content and applications are still very important. On my page, you can see that I have the Constant Contact app, so fans can easily sign up for our mailing list. These application slots are crucial to setting your page apart.
Below this horizontal strip, your posts start and the page is divided into two columns. On the right, there are a few more static boxes. The first is the number of your friends who like the page, the next is a box that features a recent comment one of your friends has made about the brand and the third is recent activity by others. This third one can be turned off in your settings. Next, is a box that features the pages that your business likes.
In the left column, your posts, links and status updates appear. If you post something of significant importance, you can now highlight it. The option is in the top right-hand corner of the post box. This will make the post stretch across both columns and will be very attention grabbing as others scroll down your page.
You are also now able to ‘pin’ a post to the top of your Timeline. This means it will stay at the top {for a maximum of 7 days} and will not get buried as you continue to post throughout the week. This is great for contest entry information, sales or important product information.
There are even more changes and updates. Later this week, we’ll discuss the new admin panel, custom options and messaging, competitive analysis, and some new advertising options. Lastly, we’ll also give you some top ‘secret’ tips about how to make your new Timeline as effective as it can be.
Meanwhile, check out our specials for March. Do you want the perfect cover image to engage your fans? Market Mommy can help! All month long, we are running a special on designing your new cover image. For just $55, we’ll design the perfect 810x315 pixel image to tell the story of your brand. Or, you can choose to have a coordinating profile picture designed as well. We also have options to be our pinned post for 7 days or on our featured likes list.
