On March 30th 2012, all Facebook pages were converted to Facebook's new timeline interface. The new Facebook timeline changes the way content is displayed on your Facebook page. It has also completely changed the way content is displayed as well customisation option s available for your page.
If you are new to the Facebook timeline, you can read how to custom brand your Facebook page using cover photo.
Facebook marketing has become essential for promoting any business on the internet today. Your company's brand page on Facebook is at the heart of this. Here are 10 Facebook tips that will help you to get more out of your company's Facebook page.
1. Use Relevant Cover Photo & Profile Image
The introduction of cover photo is one of the most noticeable features of the new Facebook Timeline. The cover photo is a header image of 851px width and 315px height which is displayed at the top of your Facebook page. See image below.
Choosing the right cover photo and profile image is the most important aspect of creating custom branded Facebook page for your business. This is essentially where most of your branding is done. It is however important to note that Facebook terms prevent use of contact information, direct sales or promotions, or call to action such as "click here" or "buy now" in your cover photo.
The profile photo is a square icon of 125px by 125px that is displayed as an inset over the bottom left corner of your Facebook page. This is typically your logo however you can also use it more creatively and use it to complement your cover photo.
2. Create Sticky Post With 'Pin to Top' Feature
By default, new posts are displayed at the top of the timeline and older posts are pushed down. However, you can take advantage of 'Pin to Top' feature to create a sticky post that will always be displayed at the top of your timeline above every other post. This can prove useful in several ways such as creating an introduction, promoting a special offer, or other relevant information.
Take a look at "Manchester United Fans" page below. On match days, a match banner is often used as a sticky post.
3. Highlight Important Posts with the Star Feature
Highlighting a post by clicking on the start icon, allows you to give more focus to chosen posts. It also helps break the monotony of the default double column layout of posts.When you highlight a post with a star, it stretches to cover the full width of the page, making the post more prominent.
See image below.
How to Highlight or Make a Post Sticky:
Both options i.e. highlighting using 'star' and making a post sti
4. Use CustomTabs and Tab Thumbnail
Facebook also allow you to include up to 12 custom page tabs on your fan page displayed below your cover photo. Each tab, that includes an icon and title, is a link to a particular app or sub-section of your page. The first tab is always for photos by default. The remaining (a maximum of 11 more) can be customised as per your needs.
Tabs work like navigation and offer an excellent way to create a structure for your Facebook page. For example, you can have a custom tab pointing to your products or services, for your Blog, and another call to action such as email sign-up or perhaps an enquiry form.
Choose options carefully to highlight the main areas you wish to target. Use of custom tab icons or thumbnails for each tab helps grab attention as well as improves visual appeal and usability.
5. Take Advantage of Milestones
The new timeline layout of Facebook also lets you create milestones for your fan pages. Milestones can be specific events or dates that are important for your brand e.g. founded, launched, and other important events in your history. You can specify your milestones that can include any dates from the past and associate posts with that.
See image below.
6. Integrate With Twitter
Facebook offers a number of integration features for connecting your Facebook page with Twitter. You can connect Twitter directly from your profile settings or via an app. You can choose to display your tweets in your timeline and even choose to auto-post to your Twitter account.
7. Syndicate Your RSS Feed
If you have a blog, you can easily syndicate your RSS feed using one of the many free apps. Alternatively, you can also syndicate the feed of other external blogs. There are many RSS apps that let you do this. Adding any one to your page will add a blog tab and retrieve new blogs posts automatically. Most RSS apps also let you choose if new posts should be automatically posted to your timeline. This is a great way to ensure your content is always fresh and up to date.
8. Use Custom URL (Username)
Facebook lets you choose a custom URL for your page once your page has received at least 25 "likes". Custom URL offers the opportunity choose your brand name or another memorable name as the page address e.g. Facebook.com/your-brand-name. You can do this with the 'change username' link in your admin panel.
See image below.
9. Add the Facebook Plugins to Your Website
The more users engage with your content, the better is your overall reach and chances of going viral. One of simplest ways to do this is by using social plugins on your website or blog that make it easy for your website visitors to share your content.
10. Post Quality Content
This may seem obvious but needs to be reinforced nevertheless. The only way to be successful on social media is by sharing quality information with your audience regularly. There are many Facebook posting tips that you can take advantage of.
What Strategies Do You Use on Your Facebook Page?
What methods do you use on your Facebook page to improve results? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. If you like this post, please share it with others on social media.
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