| APRIL 5, 2012 -- Amid much controversy, Facebook has recently introduced “Timeline” for personal profiles, and now has made it mandatory for all Brand and Business Pages to institute on their pages before April 1st. With this change comes excitement for the change along with the fear of the change but then opportunity for the future. If your Grange has a Facebook Page, here’s a few tips to make the most of your new profile view.
• The large photo across the top of the page is one of the most noticeable changes. This is called the Cover Photo. The size of the photo is 851 x 315 pixels. That’s a lot of real estate. Take advantage and share your creativity with a stunning photo. The one caveat is that you cannot have a “call to action” in your cover photo - such as words saying “Join the Grange,” “like us” or “tell your friends.” That would go against Facebook’s Terms of Service.
• Does it appear that posts by visitors on your page are disappearing? All the posts that others share on your wall are now all aggregated into one section on the right-hand panel called “Recent Posts By Others.” Visitors to your page can now sort the timeline by highlighted stories (any post that has a minimum of 4 comments and/or likes can be made a highlighted post), posts by the page, posts by fans and non-fans, or friend activity, all by utilizing the drop down box on the top of the page under the cover photo.
•The new messaging system replaces the former “Inbox” service which was removed in early 2011. Now visitors can communicate privately with Page Admins, adding another layer of communication for your Grange.
•Admins can now “Pin a Post” to the top of the page. Pinned posts will appear on the top left side of the wall for 7 days. This is a great way to highlight an upcoming Grange event, project or announcement.
•Admins can also “Highlight” a post. In this view, the post spans both columns of the timeline, so that it stands out and makes a statement. This is useful to draw attention to Grange events, special photos, or important messages. Pages can have a Highlighted Post and a Pinned Post at the same time.
•Pages now have the ability to backdate messages/posts and add “milestones” to their timelines. Granges can now tell their story month by month, year by year - such as founding dates and important photos and events. This is such a wonderful way to tell the story of your Grange!
These are just a few of the many new changes Facebook has made. This is a great opportunity to do some spring cleaning on your Grange’s Facebook page, so take a look at what’s been working and not working and try something new! |
