Well Facebook Timeline to be exact.
By now all of you with a Facebook account for your business will have noticed a huge change to the look of your page and, like most people feel towards change, will probably have hated it, felt lost and most of all worried about the effect it would have on your target audience.
However, think on this change as an opportunity to really sell yourself, your business, product or service. So, what are the main differences between the old Facebook page and Timeline and what are the business benefits?
The aesthetics for starters are brilliant for any business looking to attract their target market. What is it they say, a picture is worth a thousand words? With the new cover photo taking pride of place at the top of your page this couldn’t be truer. This space does not have to constantly have to display your products. Instead, you could use it to show what goes on behind the scenes at your company – people buy from people remember.
Default landing pages have also been scraped – so no more making users have to ‘Like’ your page just to see your wall, photos and other information. The removal of this feature means businesses are going to have to look at their marketing as a whole and make sure their Facebook profile gets the exposure it needs. Of course there are always Facebook ads, but the new ‘pin’ feature allows you to pin items to the top of your Timeline, such as new products, offers and competitions, creating maximum exposure. It is also free and a great way for you to take control of your marketing.
“Create a beautiful online experience”
Randi Zuckerburg – iStrategy Amsterdam 2011
Communication between businesses and their consumers is now more direct. Your customers and clients can now send private messages to your page’s admin, minimising some of the ‘untidiness’ you may experience through frequently asked questions and technical problems they may be having. Although this may seem like it could take up a lot of your time, it is a great way to interact with your target audience and by solving their problems you can boost customer loyalty and retention easily.
So, whether you’re a fan of Timeline or not, Facebook is continuously changing and adapting to ensure they remain a leader in marketing for businesses and if there will be more changes to come in the future. And if you’re not ready for them your business faces being left behind!
Take a look at some of the businesses who are using Timeline to its full potential and be inspired by visiting “10 excellent examples of Facebook Brand Timelines“.
And remember, we’re always here to help!
