With the launch of Facebook's Timeline for Pages this month, many companies have been scrambling to update their timeline and ensure key features, content and offers are prominently presented on the Page.
This isn't actually that easy. Gone are the familiar, if rather limiting, left column navigation links. Now you have just three prominent tabs for your apps, plus whatever you can show in your bio or at the top of your timeline. Having just implemented this for a client, here are 5 simple pointers for promoting content on your timeline:
- If you've got a specific promotion happening, feature it on your Cover Photo. You can change it as often as you like and, since it's the most prominent space on the page, you might even want to do it weekly.
- If you're using a 3rd party app, such as a mailing list sign up form or competition, click the pencil icon and edit the app title so that it attracts your customers' attention. You might also want to change the icon to something visually compelling.
- Since you're only allowed 3 prominent apps (with the others tucked away in the scroller) if you have a fourth app you'd like to feature, just link to it from your About text. You only get 170 characters or so, so use a short URL, as on the example above.
- Similarly, if you want to feature a current deal, event or promotion, add a status update about it, then pin it to the top of your timeline. It will stay for 7 days, but you can always re-pin it after that.
- If pinning it to the top of your timeline isn't enough, you can also click the star icon at the top right of your post to widen it to cover both columns of your timeline.
We're starting to see a lot of creative uses of the Cover Photo and posting of images to cover both columns. If you're particularly proud of your Page - feel free to share it with us via the comments section below.