So you’ve just created a Facebook page for your business, or maybe you are trying to figure out what to do with this new Facebook Timeline thing. Here is a collection of official Facebook guides and key points that will help you learn how to use Facebook Timeline, Facebook pages as well as new guidelines on what is (and is not) okay to do.
Facebook Pages Product Guide
This guide from Facebook will walk you through the basics of Facebook pages with a good overview of Facebook’s new Timeline feature. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with the recent changes.
Once you have gotten your head around the basic features provided by Facebook Timeline, you’ll realize that it is all about storytelling. Here are a few ways to enhance your business or brand’s story .
Pinned Posts
Have a post, update, image or video that you want to make sure that people see? By pinning a post you can ensure that it stays on the very top of your timeline for the next seven days. If you have a featured story, blog post, survey or other type of content that you want to highlight each week, just pin it and people who visit your Facebook page will be sure to see it.
Visually Compelling Stories
Unlike the old Facebook pages, you now have a lot more space to tell your story or highlight a compelling photo. This enables you to create visually compelling posts or enhance existing content to draw visitors in and drive engagement with your business or brand.
Your Wall is Not the Same
Instead of having a wall that features both your posts and those of people who have visited your page, Facebook Timeline has a separate area on the right side under your cover and apps to feature contributions and conversations of people who like your page.
This makes it easier for you to tell your story without it being lost in a sea of posts that are often just conversations.
Admin Panel
Another benefit of the switch to Facebook Timeline for pages is the admin panel. It provides a ‘heads up’ display of the important activities on your page.
The admin panel includes some of the following features:
Notifications
You can view notifications of recent activity on your page, making it easier to quickly respond.
Insights
Get a quick preview any time you visit your Facebook page of your overall performance.
Messages
This is one of the best additions that comes with Timeline. People can message you directly. This enables you to have a private conversation instead of relying on your wall.
This is really helpful especially when you’re a business and you have a couple of disgruntled customers. Just ask them to send you a message, and you can resolve the problem without distracting other people visiting your page.
Official Facebook Timeline Pages Guide
Mastered the basics of Facebook pages? Want a quick overview of the important new features that your Facebook Timeline can provide your business or brand? This guide covers the basics in two pages, making it a quick and easy read.
Since most people never browse below the fold when visiting a page, let’s look at three of the most important new features of Timeline.
Cover Photo
The cover photo is perhaps the most important aspect of your Facebook page. With this photo highlighted front and center, it is the first thing people see when they visit your page. It is important to have a compelling image,
There are a number of Facebook Timeline cover photo design ideas that you can try to make your page really pop.
Profile Picture
Your profile picture is not only shown next to your cover photo but it is also used for smaller icons throughout your Facebook page. Make sure that the photo you choose will not only look good at full size but also at sizes as small as 32px x 32px.
Apps
Apps are the new tabs in your Facebook Timeline. You can highlight up to four apps below your cover photo. Make sure to choose a great graphic for each app and a compelling title.
All of your old apps will still be listed in an expanded view, but some will no longer work. Make sure to check to see which apps work with Timeline and which do not.
Hiding Posts
Since Facebook’s Timeline feature literally creates a timeline of all your posts, status updates and images uploaded since the birth of your Facebook page, it can get a little embarrassing. If you have a couple of posts that you wish no one would see, that’s not a problem. Just use the hide option available on the menu in the upper right hand corner to hide it.
Facebook’s New Guidelines for Pages
With the release of the new Timeline feature, Facebook has also updated its guidelines for pages. One of the big changes is that you are no longer able to advertise specials, incentives or other common “like-gating” tactics to improve visitor-to-like conversion rates.
A number of Facebook pages have already been shut down because they violated these rules in their cover photo. Instead of rolling the dice, come up with a compelling call to action that clearly communicates your value.
View or Download the Guide: Facebook Page Guidelines
For more Facebook Timeline advice, check out the Facebook Timeline Ideas series.