I’m sure by now, you’ve heard all the news about the new Facebook Pages Timeline. What?! You haven’t!?! Well, then keep reading and watch the step by step tutorial. It’s an interactive how-to guide to use your Facebook Pages to tell a story, express your brand identity, and help connect and engage with your audience. I suggest you take the time to create your Facebook Page cover now because by March 30, 2012, all Facebook Pages will be upgraded to the new Facebook Pages Timeline.
A brief *synapses of what you will learn watching the New Facebook Pages Timeline Tutorial:
Customize Your Page
- Cover Photo – choose an engaging photo that tells visitors what your site is about. Please read Facebook’s Pages Terms to make sure you’re not in violation and risk your Page of being taken down. Your cover photo can be changed at any time. Image size: 851 x 315 pixels.
- Profile Picture – this image is what you want to be known for, your brand, your logo. Your profile picture is what appears next to your name when people search for your business. On that note, it is recommended that your profile picture not be changed as this is a representation of you/your business. Image size: 180 x 180 pixels, and gets sized down to 32 x 32 pixels, when shown as a thumbnail.
- About – fill in this section with most relevant information about your business.
- Views & Apps – shows your visitors what other sections there are that they can visit on your site. There are up to 12 apps you can use, but by default only 4 of the 12 shows, so make these your most relevant apps.
- Weekly Pinned Post – feature one story you want to highlight each week. This will show up at the top of your Facebook page.
- Starred Posts – this allows you to star or hide posts from your Timeline. Hiding a post will not be visible to your visitors, but will still be visible to other admins of your page. You also have the option to delete a post altogether.
- Milestones – you may highlight important moments that help define your business.
- Change Post Dates – ever want to go back in time? Now here’s your chance! You can change post dates any time that you like.
- Friend Activity – this section will show an activity when a friend of one of your fans liked, visited or tagged your Page in a post. How to ensure that happens? Post engaging stories. Why do you want to do that? It helps personalize your page.
- Admin Panel – helps you keep up with all of your Page activity, thus allowing for more engagement with people that have initiated a form of communication with you.
- Message – allow for more one-on-one conversation with your audience.
That’s basically it. Seems simple enough? Remember….Brands are moving toward STORY TELLING. The new Facebook Pages Timeline Cover allows for such. What kind of story are you telling? Build on it. Create it. We have experts that can design and help you with your new Facebook Pages Timeline. Check out a couple samples below and contact us for details on how you can start telling your story.
How about you? Have are you liking the new Facebook Pages Timeline? Have you created your Facebook Page Timeline cover yet? Are you seeing some really good ones out there? What are your thoughts on it? Inquiry minds would like to know. 😉
Watch the interactive New Facebook Pages Timeline Tutorial.
‘Til next time….
Jocelyn Wilhelm, JW Social Media CEO
*PS: If in case, you didn’t get to read some of the comments below, just a brief explanation why I used the word “synapses” versus “synopsis” as in brief summary of what you would think this article is about….I wanted to have a play on words with synapses as in the right or left hemisphere of the brain. If you haven’t seen it yet, the new Timeline divides the page with a right and left column to show the posts you’ve made; thus the right and left hemisphere. 🙂 Facebook thought this is the best way to tell your story.
Joyce: My attention was immediately drawn to the word Synapsis, so much so that I looked again. Synopsis, Synapses. Great juxtaposition of thought, and meaning if this was intentional, it is brilliant. For me, the outline of the changes seem to be positive, although I normally like to charge full speed ahead into the newest technology software, updates, but when it comes to privacy, documenting by the second your history online, I’m a bit cautious, not as social. Your great explanation of the new changes and what they are and how you can use them is very easy to understand. The idea of a story( albeit of your social life) is very appropriate. Thanks so much.
HAH! Great that you caught that Joel! Facebook goes through so many changes, in such brief time, that you wonder who’s behind doing all this and how all 845 million users can keep up with all that?! And the biggest question….how they can get away with it!!!? So yes, that’s how I feel at times, when I sign on to Facebook and wonder, “what’s new and what will be coming together in the world of Facebook today, thus, synapses.” 😉
And further more, this new storytelling mindset will bring all of us together, all 845 million of us.
Nice job, Jocelyn! Facebook was very focused on the object of Storytelling at fMC — I can’t wait until we are all less focused on conversion to Timeline and actually using it! 🙂
The new blog looks good too!!
~Keri
Keri recently posted..Commonly Asked Questions About Timeline For Facebook Pages
Thank you Keri! So true, but then again, gives us all a topic to write about, until the next thing comes about. And with how Facebook makes changes as often as you change…..well, you know…we can be blogging forever. 😉
Nice overview Jocelyn!
Like Joel synapses/synopsis really jumped out of the page at me. I’m really looking forward to the coming changes at Facebook they seem to be an overwhelmingly good move.
Looking forward to see how everyone interprets their business stories…
Kittie Walker recently posted..Content Strategy – A Raging Debate
I had it right the first time, just thought “synapses” would be more cerebral. 🙂 Really thought provoking wouldn’t you say? Hopefully the next time they want to “broadcast”, they would first stop and think….is this the story I want people to know about me/my business?
Hi Jocelyn,
I have not implemented anything on my FB pages yet – partly just wondering what to do with them.
Your post clearly defined what to work on and why. Very impressive!
And, you’re right – it’s all a story –
Very nice post!
Christine Brady recently posted..10 Ways to Use 10 Minutes to Move Your Business Forward
Thank you Christine. Hopefully many others see it that way too and it’s really easy if you think about it that way. We’re going in the digital footprint mode. People/brands, I think we all need to think about the legacy we’re trying to build. Facebook did a good job in implementing the Timeline cover for pages to help all of us create that story for people to see. Everyone’s online. We’re all doing things online. Why not give people a good glimpse of what and who we are.
Just hope they didn’t make so many changes in such short bits of time. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up….but then again, that’s job security for me. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Jocelyn
Hi Jocelyn,
I also have yet to set up my Facebook fan page – this is comes at a good time. There’s a fantastic branding / engagement opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to building this out.
While I’ve had fan pages before, there’s quite a bit I didn’t know. The section on controlling content is just great.
Thanks for sharing.
Dee Ankary recently posted..The Secret Of A Successful Blueprint
Glad you found this useful Dee! So much to do, so little time. 🙂
Fantastic info! Facebook is so notorious for changing things on a regular basis, timeline is just another blip on the screen. I haven’t converted my biz page over yet but am working on it. Thanks for a wonderful guide to “what’s what!” Appreciate you!
Martha Giffen recently posted..Does Your Online Business Need Some St. Patrick’s Day Luck?
This is great info! I actually like the new timeline format and am beginning to see some measurable success with my fan page. Thanks so much for the post! 🙂
Kirk Pickering recently posted..Get Fit Fast; Drink More Water!
You’re very welcome Kirk! Can’t wait to see how other businesses are using the new Facebook Timeline cover.
Hi Jocelyn,
You really boiled it down and simplified things for the new changes on facebook. Can’t thank you enough!
Ryan Sprout recently posted..How to Use Market Samurai for Niche Website
Thank you for stopping by Ryan!
I always learn something new when I stop by here. Thanks for the info, Jocelyn. I’ve made the switch but still finding my way around.
Thanks Kim! Let me know if you need any help. I’m always happy to!! 🙂
Jocelyn Wilhelm recently posted..New Facebook Pages Timeline Tutorial