We have all been waiting for timeline to take effect on fan pages, and a lot of us have been speculating what might be changing. Well the changes are here, and our last post "Facebook Tabs are Getting Wider?" was not far off. We even nailed the spot that applications would show, and the exact size the new tabs would be. The tabs have gotten wider as expected, but what else has changed?
[UPDATE - tabs are 790 pixels wide with a 10 pixel margin on each side. So overall width is 810 pixels]
When you first login as your fan page today, you will see a notification at the top of your page informing you about the changes. The pages will take full effect on March 30th, and in the meantime, you can preview the new changes. This window of 30 days is very short, and goes against facebook promise to give a 90 day warning before all changes. We will not harp at that much now, but many of us in the tab industry will be scrambling to update our platforms. Let us click preview and see what changes there are.
Now that you are previewing timeline, you will have gained a cover image, just like profiles. This is an item we all expected, and hope you have created a cover for your page.
[UPDATE - Cover Images are 850pixels x 315 pixels, and do not display the entire cover when a user lands on the page]
In addition, a big change is how the application for your fan page is displayed. Your applications are on the right side below your cover photo, and if you have multiple apps, you will have to click a button to expose them.
[UPDATE - To change the image for your applications visit your new admin panel, click manage, edit page, and then select apps. Look for the app you wouldlike to modify and select edit settings. You can add a new image by selecting a new "custom rab image", The new size is 111 pixels by 76 pixels]
If you have multiple applications or tabs for your fan page, and they are not linked together on your displayed application or tab, they might never be seen. Sorry http://www.NorthSocial.com, but this update is not helpful for you.
A big part of timeline for businesses was the ability to tell its story. With timeline, you can add opening day, special events, and so much more. To review all of your previous dates might take some time, but it is worth it to gain exposure to your customers.
The new admin panel might take a little while to get used to, but it seems to keep everything nicely in one place. The panel now contains your notifications, new likes, insights, and the new messages feature.
Timeline for pages will allow facebook users to send you private messages, and for you to respond privately too them. This is a huge feature, which can help businesses cut back on negative posts on their wall.
The facebook tabs have made a huge change as expected. They now are 850 pixels wide, and can fit the average website in side of them. Another big change is that other applications or tabs are no readily viewable from the new display. You can access them by clicking a small button that displays all of your apps, but is not extremely noticeable. This is a huge disadvantage for facebook tabs that are not directly linked together.
Overall, the new changes for fan pages are a big plus, but it will take everyone a while to get used to. There is a huge concern with most businesses not having the default landing tab anymore. Most merketers are looking for new ways to get users to tabs, but this can be a huge task. Here are the cover policies from facebook:
- Price or purchase information, such as "40% off" or "Download it at our website."
- Contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page's "About" section.
- References to Facebook features or actions, such as "Like" or "Share" or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features.
- Calls-to-action, such as "Get it now" or "Tell your friends."
- Covers must not be false, deceptive or misleading, and must not infringe on third parties' intellectual property.