ABOVE: A rough mockup of what a Timeline for Facebook Pages could look like.
Introduced by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the f8 developers conference on September 22nd, the Facebook Timeline already looks to be a success, with some 1.1 million users already using the feature on their profiles. Here are some of the most exciting new features of the Facebook Timeline – and how they might be useful in the future for businesses and organizations. While the Timeline hasn’t yet rolled out to Facebook Pages (as opposed to personal Facebook profiles), we expect that Pages will reflect some of these Timeline changes in the future.
The Cover:
The new “Cover” feature allows users to add a large photo at the top of the profile page, which could represent a major opportunity for marketers and advertisers to make a strong first impression. Unlike the old layout which only allows a profile picture and five customizable thumbnail pictures, the new Timeline “Cover” is an 849 by 312 pixel image that can be changed at any time – which will be huge for increasing brand awareness, once rolled out to Facebook Pages.
The Story:
“Tell the whole story of your Brand in a single page!” Well, it is a little bit different from what Mark Zuckerberg said, but it works! The new Facebook Timeline layout allows users to highlight the most important posts, photos, videos and events on their Facebook profiles. Imagine how useful this will be for brands! The more user-friendly Facebook Timeline interface makes finding information all much easier with maps and apps to be found in a clear navigation bar. We can’t wait for Facebook Pages to have this same functionality.
The Conversation:
Conversation matters! Marketers are no longer simply marketers, they are also publishers — and good content drives conversations that lead to successful Facebook Pages. As the Facebook Ticker – also rolled out with the Facebook Timeline – is continuously updated, the infinite scroll on the upper-right corner gives Facebook users more chances to engage and chat. Quality posts published frequently will help Facebook Pages grow even faster now, even before the Timeline is rolled out to Pages.
The Facebook Timeline holds the possibility for Pages to tell comprehensive brand stories that build strong relationships between a brand and its Facebook fans, in a much more emotion-oriented way than was ever possible before. We’re hoping Facebook will roll out the Timeline to Pages soon!
