To
the dismay of some businesses, Facebook launched their new Timeline
layout recently, abandoning the
message-board style of before. 1 of every 5 business owners
I've spoken to are less then thrilled, finding it to be cumbersome,
awkward and unnecessary. Though Facebook did give one month advance
notice, many have expressed discontent with not being able keep the
prior layout; finding the simplicity of the old more user-friendly.
The ultimate difference between old and new is the emphasis Timeline
places on storytelling through visuals and communication. There are
some key features for enhancing your brand marketing strategy, with a
relatively limited number of restrictions to abide by. Timeline is
designed with aim of steering brands to do more talking with
customers versus at them, all with the end goal for building a
community. Here are the features expected to make that delineation
easier to accomplish.
Open with a Cover Photo
All pages now
open to a cover photo which yields some obvious appeal. Being the
first page element a consumer will see, businesses have a unique
opportunity to develop and illustrate their brand with a compelling,
high quality, relevant image. Imagery is a critical element of social
interaction. Applications like Instagram, newly acquired by Facebook,
have made that evident. Photos must be free of advertisements,
promotions, contact information or any misleading messaging, as per
Facebook's policy. Instead, set the pace with a creative that
represents the business focus and is innovative, that your target can
identify with.
Dimensions: 815px by 315px
Display Company Milestones
The milestones feature on Timeline lets
brands show the evolution of their business by highlighting important
dates, then coupling those with correlating images. Add a photo of
your first distribution center, your first product sold, the owners
and staff of years past. Just as with skimming through a photo album,
leveraging a consumer's intrigue in where you've been may foster a
great interest in where you're going. Any entry must be relevant
therefore be selective.
Featured Applications
For most pages, the applications menu
was tucked away on the left hand margin prior to Timeline. Apps are
now situated beneath the right hand corner of the cover photo, and
following the images field. While up to 12 applications can be
featured, choose wisely and steer clear of clutter. Only applications
positioned to have the greatest consumer engagement should be
showcased.
Enhance Messaging with Stars and Pins
Draw attention to individual posts with
the star and pin feature. Starring a message will extend its
placement across the width of the page. Star interesting, important
messages from both consumers and the company. This practice of
acknowledgment will encourage more people to post willingly. Be
sure to rotate your starred messages, always providing visitors
something fresh to observe. Pinning serves a similar purpose.
Selecting the pin icon, will navigate that entry to the top of the
Timeline. New promotions, pivotal company accomplishments, and the
like should be pinned. Assign an experimentation date and hold
yourself accountable to managing, and updating pins semi regularly.
So, What's the Point
The atmosphere of social engagement
has changed and Facebook refined the visual landscape of brands
pages (and its feature elements) in attempt to appease that
evolution. Brands commonly suffer a dialogue disconnect with their
consumers, and were reliant on applications to do the dirty work.
Timeline replaces the core elements of the message-board layout for
business pages in place of a product that mimics consumer pages more
closely. That means, the expectation is on the brand to act as their
customer would. Utilize these features to make your business more
compelling. No longer can you land incoming traffic on a “fangating”
application to force likes. Instead consumer's are looking for a hub
that caters to people like themselves, and Timeline provides the
tools making that development more attainable.
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