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If your company is on Facebook, tomorrow should be a big day for you — every business Facebook page, whether it’s filled with content or completely bare, will automatically switch to the new Facebook Timeline. Love it or hate it, there are likely some features that have been eliminated that were part of your initial strategy. However, to continue the purpose of social media, the new Timeline format encourages businesses to tell their stories in a more compelling manner while providing you the tools to make that possible.

The two most important functionality changes include:

• Optional default landing page – this has been eliminated
• Only three apps appear on your homepage

Ok, so what does this mean for your Facebook company/brand page?

1. Visitors (connections or otherwise) will land on your page “wall” — there is no longer a way to incorporate a fan gate or way to filter content for those who don’t already “like” your page. However, you can use the cover photo to deliver a creative message similar to the previous one on your landing page. (More info to come on that subject….)
2. The header of your brand page now contains three apps that are prominently featured, as opposed to a column of apps below your profile image. You have the flexibility to adjust which apps you would like visually displayed—and remember the apps don’t go away; they are just hidden. The plus side to this is that your custom tabs and apps gain more real estate. Now, these pages offer an 810-pixel layout for each custom tab/app. Your visitors can easily find the information through a dropdown box. The new layout now allows for a 111×74-pixel icon for each app, which is dramatically larger than the 16x16 icon. Use this to your advantage!

Since we have covered two significant changes, you are probably now wondering, what is being added? Let’s keep moving.

How to get the most out of the new Facebook Timeline:

Cover Photo
Easily the most obvious (and anticipated), the cover photo is a large graphic at the top of each brand page. This is prime real estate to showcase your brand, your culture, or your product. One thing to remember— Facebook forbids “promotions, coupons, or advertisements” in the cover photo.

Layout
Along with the addition of a cover photo, brands can now add historical events in the brand’s history dating back to the launch of the organization. Complete your Timeline with past content including ribbon cuttings, major business highlights, and any other content that may be valuable to your fan base. Even better, since photos are one of the most engaging forms of content on Facebook, they can now span the more than 800-pixel layout.

Pin Posts
Pinning isn’t reserved just for Pinterest any longer. Admins can “pin” an update to the top of the Timeline so visitors can view that information easily. A fun caveat with this feature is that the post is replaced by a new pin, or is eliminated after seven days.

Fans and Friends
The toggle option between posts by fans, formerly being visible only by the brand, is no more. Now posts by fans are visible by default. Also, the updated layout allows visitors to more easily see the interactions between their friends and the brand.

Private Messaging
The Timeline allows fans to send direct messages to the brand. This gives the opportunity to have a discussion with the brand representatives, without having the content public. In the event your brand is being overloaded with personal messages, the brand administrators do have the option to disable this setting.

Embrace the Change!
It is important to be aware of the major changes with this Timeline rollout, but more importantly, to embrace it. These changes offer greater brand capabilities with increased exposure of engaging content, while aggregating the most recent (and often valuable) content to the top. To learn more about Facebook Timeline or to inquire about social media strategy, call Matt O’Gorman, senior marketing consultant, at 402.423.5447.