Facebook Timeline was introduced and upgraded to brand pages back on March 30, 2012 in an effort to increased engagement. In order to do so, brands had to revamp their brand pages with some photos and information. If you’re just catching up now there are a few things to know and keep in mind about Facebook’s Timeline.
Cover Photo
Since the new format has also changed the way users engage, one of the most important areas of the fan page is the cover photo. The timeline cover photos displays a 850 x 315 pixel banner across the top of your page. Since the cover photo is what viewers see first, it’s important to create a lasting image for users. There are a few things to keep in mind though when designing your cover photo:
- Do not display call to actions
- No references to Facebook (ie “Like this page”)
- No contact information such as url, email addresses or phone numbers
- Nothing overly promotional (sale or pricing information, download our pdf, etc)
- Faces attract more attention
- Get creative!
Page Apps
The page apps have been relocated from the left navigation to the right side of the About section (under the cover photo). There are four tiles that can be filled; the first and only permanent one is Photos. In the old format, pages could set a default landing tab that non-fans would see instead of the wall, but this is no longer allowed. Instead the landing page could be created as an App and actively clicked on that way.
Highlights
Highlight can be a mix of stories on your page whether it’s from consumers, their friends or a post you added that received a lot of comments. Users can opt to see highlights first when visiting your page, but if your highlight is particularly negative this could have a lasting effect. If you want to prevent this from happening, you should disable random users from posting on your page in your setting (under Manager Permissions).
Pinning posts
If you have a post that you want to keep on top of your Timeline feed, you can choose to Pin it. This will keep your post at the top of the page for 7 days, so if you’re promoting a contest, showing off a fun photo or displaying a poll, you may want to Pin it at the top so users see it when visiting your page.
Facebook Timeline introduced other features as well, but these are some of the most common. One of the most important things for your Facebook brand page is the cover photo, so get creative!