Facebook is making a lot of changes these days and it is hard to stay up on them all. Here are some of the key ones you may want to know about:
Facebook Pages are Redesigned and Administrator Features are Added
Facebook recently redesigned Pages that look similar to the revamped personal profiles. Facebook offers page owners to preview and upgrade early to the new format (which will shortly become mandatory). You may have already noticed brands switching over to the new layout. If you have, you'll notice:
- 5 Photos at the top of the page (like personal profiles)
- Navigation is now on the left vs. top of the page
- Activities from others are filtered into the news feed
- The "everyone" feature allows admins to highlight items as top wall posts
- By selecting the "Use Facebook as a Page" option in the account section, admins will be able to get notifications when fans interact with or post comments to a page
- Admins will be able to switch between speaking as the page, and as their own personal profiles
Not everyone is happy with these changes, but few ever are when it comes to change. Read more HERE.
Facebook's Next Big Media Move: Comments
Facebook is launching a new third-party commenting system in the upcoming weeks. Unlike Facebook's "social plug-in" service, the new system involves "handling the log-in and publishing" and automatically "cross-promoting comments on individual's Facebook walls, and possibly even promoting them as well on media outlets' own 'fan pages." Interesting fact: the new service will have the ability to "surface high quality comments or help users identify trolls and spammers by assigning users an aggregated credibility score." Read more HERE.
Facebook Forcing "Credits" on Game Partners
By July Facebook will require all game partners use Facebook credits as their virtual payment processing system. Here are some facts associated with Facebook credits from the article:
- Credits currently processes more than 70% of virtual goods transactions on the network, spanning more than 350 applications
- Developers using Credits can keep 70% of the revenue from virtual goods transactions
- 10 FB Credits currently cost $1 for consumers
Read more HERE
Facebook Sponsored Stories Now Available in the Facebook Self-Serve Ad Tool
Facebook's self-serve performance ad tool now allows Page, Place and application admins to create Sponsored Stories ads. The recently launched ad unit allows admins to pay for additional distribution of Page stories as well as user updates that mention them in Facebook's ad space. Until now, these ads could only be bought through a Facebook managed brand advertising representative. Read more HERE.