Yesterday I read a great Mashable article that had me simultaneously excited and bummed out. The post was added as a result of Facebook's announcement that on March 30th all Brand Pages will migrate to Facebook's Timeline.
As a result, brands can no longer set the welcome page as the default landing page. As an active social media marketer this has long been step #1 in an appropriate social media strategy. Create a gorgeous branded custom landing page that is "gated" so that users are stimulated to "like" your page. We have a great working relationship with Pagemodo who has helped us to create some great welcome pages for Silverback Social clients. I hope this change doesn't make their business obsolete? Now that we can no longer add this perfect little welcome to our potential friends on Facebook, I have to say, I'm bummed.
Argh.
I'll get over it, and we'll certainly iterate appropriately for our clients at Silverback Social (we're having fun creating visually stunning new Facebook Timeline pages like the Littlemissmatched one pictured) but I'm still a little bummed. Maybe it's more out of nostalgia than anything else?
Facebook's welcome pages will always have a special place in my heart. Back in 2009 I was a wide eyed new employee at Buddy Media. Initially, I was hired to sell custom Facebook Applications to major brands. Three months into my new gig, Mike Lazerow decided to pivot the Buddy Media business model to support custom Facebook pages. The pages that Buddy Media created were gorgeous, fun, social, and interactive. Selling for them was a blast. My first deal was with the NHL, and my success there snow balled - Michael Kors, Saks Fifth Avenue, TJX brands, Spiegel, The Washington Redskins and the list goes on. I was lucky to work with such great brands, and to be part of Buddy Media's growth. Buddy Media have since further evolved into the behemoth enterprise software business that it is today. So this change won't even be a blip on their screen. But I'd like to acknowledge some of that early work.
So -in memoriam- here is my first Buddy Media deal, the NHL's custom welcome page. Back in 2009 I was so excited about the page that I detailed the features on my blog here.
Thanks for the memories welcome pages ... later skater ...