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?
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.
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.
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. To hear all the upcoming changes coming to Fan pages visit us as we watch it live at https://www.facebook.com/business/fmc
By: Dan McGaw
@tabbedco