Facebook Timeline for Pages

Facebook Timeline for PagesHANSONDODGECREATIVE

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

©2012, Hanson Dodge Creative. All rights reserved. HDC / Making the world more active.

The changes to Facebook PagesImplications for brands on FacebookThe essentialsConclusions

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Table of Contents


©2012, Hanson Dodge Creative. All rights reserved. HDC / Making the world more active. 3

The changes to Facebook Pages



On February 29, Facebook rolled out a new version of Pages. Bringing the look and feel of Pages closer in line with that of personal profiles, Facebook is giving Pages the “Timeline.” Timeline can be implemented by any Page Admin any time between now and March 30, when it will become an automatic changeover. Timeline was introduced globally to replace personal Profiles on December 15, 2011, so users have been personally accustomed to the new look and feel of Timeline for almost 2.5 months. What is Timeline really? Timeline is the virtual online time and space in which all the content for every Facebook user is organized and displayed. Photos, videos, and updates from any given user are categorized according to the chronology of the post. These posts and events are displayed along a vertical scrolling “timeline” that runs through the center of the profile. Users and pages now have the option to add events that have occurred at any time.

Overview



More robust brand experience: • Chronology• Cover photo• Profile picture• Pinned posts

Enhanced reach:• New settings for composer/updates• Friend activity• Stronger ad features

Improved user response:• Private messaging• Admin management

Key Benefits



The Facebook Wall is being replaced by the Timeline profile layout.

Pages can now add major events, memories and milestones.

Brands can make these milestones as featured posts, which appear larger than others. (This is also similar to what users can do with life events on personal Timelines.) This format provides brands with new options for self-expression: They can outline company history with milestones (such as product launches, store openings, etc.) to construct an engaging narrative for audiences.Pages can also “pin” an important post to the top of the page Timeline for up to 7 days. This might include major news or important announcements where fans will be most apt to see it and interact with it. Pages will no longer be able to specify a Default Landing Page – making landing pages and welcome “fangates” redundant. Apps are still allowed, and “like” gates will still exist, but not as a Welcome page.

What are the changes?Timeline & Admin Panel



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What are the Changes?

Cover Photo



• Pages now have a 851 × 315px “Cover Photo” to better convey a brand message. • Facebook will not permit Cover Photos to become marquee banner advertisements. Cover Photos will

not be allowed to include price or purchase information, URLs, contact info, calls to action or references to “Like” or “Share.” At HDC, we pride ourselves on creativity, and Cover Photos present a great opportunity for brand Page enhancement.

• The Cover Photo replaces a unique landing tab, giving a better, bigger branded experience.• The Cover Photo is only seen when users visit the Page, but new users will get a strong sense for what

the brand wants to convey and communicate about its Facebook presence.

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Cover Photo




Applications



• Page Tab/Apps will continue to function as is. • In Facebook vernacular, they were called “tabs,” and their functionality took the user experience

beyond the Wall. Now, “Tabs/Apps” have moved from the left side of the page (beneath the old profile picture) to an area below the Cover Photo.

• Fewer tabs/apps can be highlighted. With a “See more” option, all apps benefit from larger thumbnails.

• App images are featured with 111×74 px graphics instead of the old 16×16 icon. • Apps themselves are no longer constrained to a 520 px width and can now be up to 810 px wide

for a more “web-like” feel. • Apps will render on a new page underneath a Page header with a link back to the page, a drop-

down menu with other tabs and a Like button if users haven’t already “liked” the Page.


Applications




User Experience & Management



• Page visitors now have the option of the “Add to Interest Lists.” This will create newsfeeds of related posts, similar to how friend lists work in users Personal pages. Users DO NOT have to Like a page to be able to use this function.

• A new “Activity Log” gives Page owners better visibility of the activity on the Page Timeline. In the admin panel, admins can choose whether to hide or delete posts (without losing data), and can highlight posts in a double-width feature. Page admins also have the option to hide fan posts from the page until approved (this is an improved monitoring option).

• A new competitive monitoring option is the view of a 30-day history of ‘People Talking About This’ and a new metric, ‘New Likes per Week.’ So, anyone can see public Page activity.

• POLICY CHANGE: Private Messaging is now an option! This feature, especially nice for customer service questions, is now a more personal exchange of information.


User Experience & Management




The Timeline Layout



• The “Wall” is a dead term... it’s now the Timeline (but, it’s still a vertical scroll) - and it still provides the Page history in a linear fashion, with all important milestones accurately portrayed.

• The Profile photo is a square 180x180 pic that follows the Page identity across the Facebook social graph. This is another important brand feature, as it’s an image that will be seen more often than the Cover Photo.

• The ABOUT section is now more predominately featured at the top of the Page’s Timeline (up to 255 characters).

• The first piece of content viewed, for non-fans and fans alike, will always be the most-current content/update. (“Pinning” an update puts that item atop the rest).

• Photos claim the first spot in the boxes along the bottom of the Cover Photo, but every other position can be changed to what matters most. Think Apps!

• Spots can be filled with current information or up to 12 applications.• Brands can “pin” only one item at a time. The pinned item will then exist in two

locations — the top item on the Timeline itself, as well as in its chronological place.


The Timeline Layout



Implications for brands on Facebook



Timeline Layout

The ABOUT section should give new visitors a clear understanding and expectations for what the Page’s Timeline is all about. This should serve to answer the question: What’s the social experience going to be?• Coca-Cola: “The Coca-Cola Facebook Page is a collection of your stories showing

how people from around the world have helped make Coke into what it is today.”Allowing recent posts by fans will show engagement across the Page’s Timeline.

Milestones and past events should create an engaging storyline for the brand. Creating content around these milestones is an opportunity to educate the audience as well as bring a brand to life; creating a stronger connection with fans.Brands posting content that depicts “behind-the-scenes” activities, exclusive updates or promotions will encourage interaction and promote higher engagement rates. Using notable milestones to craft a brand story over time (and updating the Timeline with new milestones as they occur) will help to stimulate conversation as well as effectively chronicle our brand.

The Timeline layout advantages



Pinning and featuring posts



• “Pinned” and “featured” posts are a valuable tool to marketers. Choosing which posts to feature will be determined by its significance.

• Pinning updates allows specific posts to get greater visibility by featuring the “pinned” post at the top of the page.

• Selecting a star button on a post will increase the post width to earn higher visibility. • A great story should be pinned and/or featured as appropriate to earn the

recognition it might have otherwise missed.• In some cases, “pinned” posts may not always be blatantly branded content, as a

January 2012 study by A.T. Kearney revealed posts that were promotional in nature received only 11% of all consumer responses. This demonstrates that consumers are disinterested in engaging with brands “chest-thumping.”

Pinning and featuring posts



Landing tabs/appsAccording to Facebook data, Default Landing Tabs only drive 10% of the total Page App traffic. 90% comes from published links and ads. Tabs/Apps can still require the “Like” before revealing content or promotional contest entry. It will be important to feature the Apps in regular status updates (published links) and through advertising in order to drive use of the App. Thus, there is an increased reliance on the newsfeed and ads as drivers of Page App traffic.

Apps have received a bigger play space, so the experience is less confined (520px -> 810px)

The shift from static landing pages to relevant stories in the news feed will help focus efforts on listening and responding to the community. 4 total Apps, including “Photos” (which can’t be replaced) are viewable at any given time, leaving only 3 that can be customized/selected. These may include the latest contest/sweepstakes or the brand’s most important information to its user.It is possible to have 12 apps accessible from your brand Page, but it is necessary to link to them via another method (they will be otherwise hidden).



Landing tabs/apps

With space for just 3 App boxes in view (not including “Photos”), marketers will need to carefully consider which Apps will be featured, as they will be the most visible when interacting with the brand on Facebook. Choose the 3 most relevant and important apps to appear below the Cover Photo.

Choose the prominent Apps, as they apply to current company objectives and/or new and important ongoing initiatives (e.g. contests, new product promotions or brand story).A good Page analytics tool will be useful to help determine which tabs to promote (which are most heavily viewed/used), although some consistency is also important for returning visitors looking to re-find content. Previous to Timeline, Apps were “invisible” on the mobile platforms of Facebook. This is beginning to change, as several third-party App providers have created “smart links” that not only have the ability to detect mobile and non-mobile devices, but will allow users to access the App on their mobile device.

continued...



Facebook Ads & Premium offers



• Above, the view of Facebook’s new Premium ad products. New ad features are rolling out now. Premium Ad accounts begin with a $25,000/mo spend.

• Facebook ads for brands (both the current “Marketplace” ads and Premium ads) will become increasingly important because ads will be one of the major ways to control and direct the user’s experience.

• Setting up an ad campaign for a promotion or new application is a strong method of guiding users directly to that App.

• Some Premium ads will run on mobile apps, and this feature is forthcoming from Facebook.• Sponsored posts (also available to non-Premium advertisers) can be a cheaper, easier, and

more effective means of advertising than buying mobile ads from multiple providers.

Facebook Ads & Premium offers



The essentials



Timeline for Pages will automatically switch on March 30, 2012.

There is no rush to switch immediately - users are still yet unfamiliar with the Timeline for Pages experience. It’s wise to observe what others are doing and replicate best practices.Community management will be require strong daily attention.

Because of these changes, brands will become more conversational with their fans.

Investments and development of Page Apps will continue to function normally, even after Timeline is implemented. Pages now have a much bolder and a more visually-appealing look.

Pages for brands with strong heritage can capitalize on milestones by creating/sharing historical content. According to Facebook: The number of “Likes” on a page is NOT more important than the conversation behind held.

What do I need to know?



More than 45% of Facebook users are regularly viewing content on their phones.

85% of fan interactions with a page take place in the newsfeed, away from the Page itself.

The most pressing updates (between NOW and March 30) will be to update the images and tab functionality of the Cover Photo and the 3 remaining visible Apps.

Milestones can be created at any time. Milestones with graphic content may be a great way to illustrate the brand narrative.

What else?



Pages will need new assets:• App images - replace the 16 x 16 icon with a 111 × 74 px graphics.• Cover Photo: 851 x 315 px rectangle.• Apps themselves are no longer contrained to a 520 px width, and can now be up to

810 px wide. • Profile photo is now a 180 x 180px square.

Things to rememberGoing forward with timeline for pages



Conclusions



Key takeawaysTimeline for business Pages will help increase our ability to market ourselves effectively on Facebook - to create narratives that illustrate our brand stories. The way information is shared and viewed within Timeline is important. It is the responsibility of the brand and its social media team to design and curate content that maximizes the benefit to the brand.Brands that consistently post engaging updates that are conducive to the Timeline, as well as share important milestones, will have great impact on visitors and fans.Activities such as creating and rotating new apps when appropriate, pinning relevant and timely content, updating the newsfeed with engaging dialogue, and continuously monitoring how visitors are engaging with your page, will help maximize brand impact within the Timeline format.



Additional Resourceshttps://www.facebook.com/help/pages/new-design


https://www.facebook.com/help/pages/new-design

https://www.facebook.com/help/pages/new-design

Business

Facebook Timeline for Pages