Timeline was a curve ball for most businesses with a Facebook Page. Now that the dust has settled, the outcry has calmed and business are now focused on building the best Page possible. In fairness to Facebook, their stated goal is to give businesses more freedom for self-expression on their Page. With all the changs, there are really 4 essentials to master Timeline.
1. The cover photo. The new cover photo is big and measures 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall. This is the main photo at the top of the page. Good cover art for your cover photo will be important to capture fan attention. Find a cool photo that is not pixelated. Your photo will be the first impression a new person will see, so make it good;
2. No more default landing pages. As a result, most tabs (apps) you had are now outdated (you heard it right, most apps will never be seen). When a user comes to your Facebook page organically they will land on only one page, that is the main page with your cover photo and wall. Fewer people will actually click on apps, with that said, change your app photo and add a title as Facebook now allows for this. Take advantage of the tools Facebook provides to drive traffic to your apps;
3. Private messaging. You now have the ability to private message your fans. Previously all engagement on your Facebook page was through wall posts and comments. Now, just like friends on your personal page, you can message them privately. This is an awesome new feature. Take advantage of private messaging as this is the ultimate method for engagement. Remember engagement is what drives sales; and
4. Pin posts. You are now able to "pin" selected wall posts to the top of your Wall. This means that if you have a wall post you want to highlight and keep it at the top of the page, you can now "pin" it so it always appears as the first wall post. Basically the most important wall post can now be kept high on the page as the first post. Take advantage of it!
There are a number of other changes, but these are the main changes you need to be focused on and master. Even with these changes, the key to having a successful Facebook page is to attract the right people to the page and then knowing how to engage them. If you master these, no matter what Facebook throws your way, you will continue to succeed.