Promote Your Business Using Facebook Timeline

Promote Your Business Using Facebook Timeline

The clock is ticking and Facebook Timeline is about to be implemented on your Facebook brand page. The new change, rolling out the end of March, is going to have a dramatic effect on your layout, so now’s the time to start preparing on how to promote your business using Facebook Timeline if you haven’t already.

How to Promote Your Business Using Facebook Timeline | The New Header

A new header will give you far more control over the personalized appearance of your brand page. You will no longer need to worry about having your header images randomly swapped around. Now you get one complete header that you can use for branding purposes. Obviously, the more attractive the header, the better your conversions will be. Don’t skimp here. This is going to make a big difference when it comes to how you are perceived.

The header will be an excellent place for brand expression, and it will likely be a good strategy to continuously update it as your campaigns evolve. Just make sure that your header meets the Facebook guidelines, as certain kinds of calls to action are not allowed here.

How to Promote Your Business Using Facebook Timeline | The New Apps Panel

The old navigation menu, which was featured in the left sidebar, is being decommissioned. It will now be replaced with a much more visually impressive apps panel. Up to twelve applications can be included in this panel. Four of these applications will be visible at any given time, and the user can scroll through them easily.

One of the applications will always be “photos,” but you have the option of specifying what the other three default applications will be. The inclusion of a much larger image to represent the app, instead of the tiny icon in the sidebar, should cause a boost in conversions.

This should be good news for most brands. The old navigation menu was small and its possible many users didn’t even realize there was more to a brand page than its wall.

How to Promote Your Business Using Facebook Timeline | Messages

Users will now have the ability to send a message directly to a business page. This will make it possible for you to have more private conversations with your customers, a feature that could prove beneficial in certain situations. This may be especially helpful for networking with other bloggers and business owners, a process that has always been one of the most important elements of success in the online world.

How to Promote Your Business Using Facebook Timeline | Tabs

The default page will now always be the timeline. You will no longer be able to send a user directly to your “welcome” tab, although these will still be accessible from the apps panel. “Like gates” will no longer be possible either. On the bright side, your tabs are no longer limited to 520 pixels wide. They can now be up to 810 pixels across if you like.

How to Promote Your Business Using Facebook Timeline | The Timeline Itself

Obviously, one of the biggest changes will now be the inclusion of the timeline itself. Unlike the old “wall,” which focused on what was most popular at any given time, the new timeline will tell a longer story. Only the events with the highest engagement will display on the timeline. Recent additions will instead be featured in the “ticker,” which focuses on current events.  Here are some cool recent additions to Facebook Timeline:

  • Milestones:  The timeline can also be edited by hand to include back story. You can add information about your brand’s history prior to the creation of your Facebook page, or even before Facebook existed. This is an excellent way to reach out to a new generation who might not be aware of your brand’s rich past.
  • Pinning:  A new “pin” feature allows you to keep a post listed at the top of your timeline for up to seven days, allowing you to promote it as a featured post. This feature means you don’t have to decide between updating with new information and burying your most relevant posts.
  • Stars and Highlights:  Additionally, a new “star” feature allows you to emphasize a particular event by allowing it to take up the entire width of the timeline, instead of being relegated to one side. This will be especially useful for infographics and interesting images.

The changes on the horizon look like mostly good news for brands, but only if you’re prepared to deal with the changes. Your strategy will need to adapt to the new interface in order to offer the most benefit.

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About the Guest Author:  Ben Sawyer  often writes about SEO, sharing his knowledge and experiences. Beside that, he is an  Internet marketing consultant and  content writer for New York SEO company.