A few of you may have noticed the announcement from Facebook about the changes in how brand pages will work. I thought I would take a few minutes and talk through Facebook Timeline and what this transition means for page admins.

First, the basics:
1. “Timeline” is what Facebook is calling its new format for the user and brand profile pages.
2. Every brand page will be switched to this profile by March 30th (so there’s no avoiding the transition).
3. It opens new opportunities to share about your brand and adds an entirely new level of creativity to connect with your audience.

Here is Facebook’s explanation on the new layout in case you haven’t seen it.

The process isn’t bug free, however. I’ve experienced a few glitches, as has at least one other member of The Focus Group office, so at this point, Facebook needs to get the kinks all worked out by the 30th.

What we’re excited about is the most eye-catching feature of the Timeline, the large cover photo. You still have your profile pic that everyone is accustomed to, but in addition you have a much larger space to show off your brand and creativity.

Here’s Coca-Cola’s page:

There are a few changes you need to be aware of…
1. Facebook tabs are being deemphasized, and you will no longer be able to create a default view for your visitors sending them to these specialized tabs. This may be one of the larger hurdles for Facebook brand managers.
2. Current applications utilized will have to be re-engineered to fit the new page layouts.

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about Facebook Timeline!

Thomas Broadus
Director of Interactive & New Media