Facebook Launches Brand Timeline Pages

Facebook launched Brand Timeline Pages at its Facebook Marketing Conference

     On February 29th, Facebook announced Timeline Brand Pages which enable brands to further engage with consumers.

The main features of Facebook Timeline Brand Pages are the following:

• Cover Photos: Brands can now include a cover photo to their profile. This cover photo should be 851 X 351 pixels and can be an image already uploaded to Facebook or a new image. The guideline with brand cover photos is that this image cannot have call to actions, references to a Facebook feature (such as like this page), purchase or pricing information, or contact information.

• Brands can include “Milestones” as part of their timeline like for example when the brand was founded, when new products were launched, etc.

• Pinning Posts: Brands can now choose to keep a post on the top of the feed.

• Wide Posts: By hovering over a post and clicking on the star, Brands can include posts in a wider format. This will increase visibility of these posts.

• Private Messaging between Brands and Consumers: Brands can now send private messages to consumers & vice versa. This feature can be managed through the notification panel and can be turned off if the brand decides to do so.

• Improved Admin Panel: The new panel includes messaging and a snapshot of recent activity and likes.

• Friend engagement activity is another feature being promoted within brand pages. The top right-hand column is dominated by Friend’s Likes & stories that friends have posted related to the brand.

         The new Brand Timeline Pages allow brands to control what content is found on the top of the page. Photos still receive the first spot, however the rest can be re-arranged. Photos still receive the first spot, however the rest can be re-arranged. This allows brands to add customisable apps & current information to their top tab. Brands can have a maximum of 12 Facebook Apps at the top of their page.

There are also several features that have been removed from brand pages:

• Facebook Tabs: Facebook Tabs no longer exist in Brand Timeline Pages. Instead, Facebook suggests that brands should pin specific posts to the top of their page that link to those tabs.

• Another key difference with Timeline is that brands can no longer have different content for non-fans as they all can see the brand’s Timeline. The implication of this is that now users have to actively click through the timeline page to engage with custom apps.

      These pages are optional until the 30th of March and all brand pages will be migrated after that date. In order to enable brand pages, go to the Status Page and click on upgrade on the pages you want to upgrade.

      Brand Timeline pages will enable brands to boost engagement with consumers. Timeline will enable brands to highlight their milestones and manage their brand to a greater extent. Private messaging with brands will also improve customer satisfaction as there will be greater communication between people and brands. This will also allow for customers to send their feedback directly as opposed to posting it on the brand’s wall.