The gnashing of teeth over Facebook’s Timeline for business pages still hasn’t subsided, so
let me share with you a few terrific things about it and maybe you’ll change your mind about Timeline.
Timeline gives you the chance to show off your business in the large cover photo. If you have a retail location, use it to have a photograph of your place, your signage, your happy customers. You aren’t allowed to pitch your website, address, or phone or to exhort people to Like your page (those you put into the About section), but there is much you can do with a little creativity. Remember that the pixel size is 851 x 315 and leave a clear area on the lower left for your profile picture.
The other great thing is that YOUR content is shown in the Timeline frame. Each post gets its own little box to showcase it. Any comments and likes to that post are included in the separate box. What this also means is that your content needs to be top-notch to spur comments and likes; your content is highlighted, for good or bad, hopefully good. You can reply to comments right there within that post’s box and the thread is maintained.
What is great about having only your own posts showcased in Timeline is that fan posts go off to the side and not in your main area. What is BAD about fan posts going off to the side in their own little box, is that you may miss out on questions or comments from your fans and don’t respond because you are unaware that they are there. That can create very unhappy fans. So be aware of them in the right side box and go check on and respond to your fans!
Timeline will also let you highlight a post to keep it at the top of or across your Timeline. This is good for events or special info you want to keep in front of your fans. By clicking the Star icon at the top right of your post, it will make that post go wide across both columns. If you want to Pin it to the top of your page, just click on the Pencil icon and the drop down has Pin To Top. Click that and your post will stay at the top for 7 days with a little yellow tag on it.
Specialty tabs like Welcome tabs are not default anymore, but can still be accessed at the top of your Timeline and they still have their unique URL. You can change the icon for them to make these tabs stand out too. Each icon pic is 111 x 74 pixels. To change these, click the arrow next to the tab grouping. A drop down will show all your apps. Click on the Pencil icon in the pic of the app. Then click Edit Settings and from there you can create your new pic for the app that will show in Timeline. You can also trade places with other apps from that Pencil icon, but Photos will always be first. Facebook is all about Photos!
So use Timeline to showcase your business — create great content with lots of photos and/or links, respond to your fans stuck over there at the ‘kid’s table’. and keep your Facebook page updated regularly. It’s the only way to keep showing up in the newsfeed.
If you have found this info helpful to you, please subscribe for more great info by clicking the RSS orange icon at the top of the page. And please Like my Facebook page for more terrific info on social media and business. Thank you! – Miller
I do consider all of the ideas you have presented in your post. They are really convincing and will definitely work. Still, the posts are too brief for beginners. Could you please prolong them a little from subsequent time? Thanks for the post.
Hello! Thank you for your comment on my post. Yes, I can be brief. I don’t want to inundate folks with lengthy posts and have them not return. Keeping it short and sweet was my goal. But you’re right, I could write a few longer ones for the new folks like yourself. I will definitely keep that in mind!
Thanks again for your input!
Is it okay to put part of this in my personal website if perhaps I submit a reference to this web site?
Yes, that would be OK with a link back to my original. Thanks! My apologies for the delay in replying, I was up to my eyeballs in alligators lately!