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Time to Get Movin’
Only 10 Days
until
All Facebook Pages Convert to Timeline
What You Need to Know!
** Due to the abrupt and dynamic nature of Facebook these details may change; however, as of now these are the latest updates.
** This guide is for Facebook business pages not personal profiles.
Deadline March 30, 2012
If you don’t publish the new Timeline version of your Facebook Page by March 30,2012, your page will automatically convert. You will not lose your page if you do not take action. It will simply be converted to the default layout.
What’s Changed
The Layout
There is no longer a left hand column containing:
- Photo or logo image
- Custom tabs
- Basic stats such as number of likes, talking about, and check in
There is now a cover image and profile image (or logo).
The custom tabs, now called apps, are located under the cover image. Their page has an increased width.
The basic stats (number of likes, check-ins etc…) are under the cover image and next to the logo image.
Preview Your New Layout
You can see what the default layout will look like by pressing the preview button on your page between now and March 29th.
You can make changes to your timeline layout and try arranging the layout without it showing on your live Facebook page. Your changes will not show on your live page until you hit the “publish” button. Once you hit that button your page will have the new Timeline layout. If you don’t hit the publish button, you can make changes, add a cover photo, explore the new layout and not change the way your live Facebook page is seen by the public.
Cover Photo
Create your image to the size of 850 x 315 pixels. You may need to contact your favorite graphic designer to create a strong representation of your brand, and use your logo or photo for your profile image.
Facebook has rules about the cover photo including not having your website address, or contact information appear on the cover photo. See below:
- http://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php Section III B talks about the Cover photo guidelines
- Covers can’t be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines.
- Covers may not include:
- i. price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it on socialmusic.com”;
- ii. contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section;
- iii. references to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features; or
- iv. calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”
Custom Tabs/Apps
If your Facebook page has custom tabs (such as Twitter, Networked Blogs, Email Capture, Menu, Welcome Page etc…), those will be now be called apps.
They will no longer be on the left hand side of the page. They will be under your cover photo.
Only four apps (tabs) will be featured although you can have up to twelve total apps. You can arrange your tabs to show your best ones. You can change them periodically to give them all some exposure. Most Facebook users won’t think to click the dropdown arrow to see all of your tabs/apps.
To arrange your apps so the ones you want featured are in the first four placements:
- Click the arrow next to your apps; this will open all the apps.
- Now click on the pencil icon, and you’ll see the option to switch with another app.
The new size for the custom tabs or “apps” is wider. It is now 810 pixels wide (previously it was 520 pixels). If your content is currently set at the old width of 520 pixels, it will be centered and surrounded by white space.
You can create custom images for your tabs/apps as well. This is in the settings option:
To change the image of the app icons:
- Click the arrow next to your apps, this will open all the apps
- Choose the one you want to change
- Click the pencil icon
- Click on “Edit Settings”
- Click on change custom tab image
- Then select browse and upload your 111 X 74 image
** Currently there is a known issue/bug with some apps showing random images rather than ones you’ve uploaded. This issue should be fixed in the near future.
Facebook Landing Page
Like Page/Welcome Page
If you had set up your Facebook page to have a “Like Gate” meaning if a non -fan came to your page they’d automatically land on your “Like Our Page” custom tab, this will no longer work. Timeline has no options for landing pages. All visitors, both fans and non-fans will land on your Timeline/wall.
That custom tab, or welcome page, will still exist, but it will not be the page non-fans land on. It will only appear as an app under your cover image.
You may choose to call this app “Home” and have it placed next to your photos app, just under your cover image.
New Features
Highlighting and Pinning
When you have a post that you’d like to draw people’s attention to, you can either pin it or highlight it in order to call attention to it.
Highlighting:
If you want a particular post to run the width of the page (both the right and left column) this is the highlight feature. It will show as a rectangular shape post across the page. It won’t jump to the top of your page; it will remain in its location.
To highlight a post simply click the star icon that’s on the upper right hand corner of that particular post. If you change your mind, simply click the star and “remove from highlights.”
Pinning:
When you pin a post, it will appear on the top left hand side of the page, just under the cover photo. It will stay there for seven days unless you unpin it sooner, or you re-pin it to keep it there longer. You might want to pin a contest announcement, a coupon, an upcoming event etc….
To pin a post to the top of your page simply click the pencil icon that’s on the upper right hand corner of that particular post. When you hover over the pencil icon, it reads “Edit or Remove”. Simply click the pencil and click “pin to the top of page.”
Highlighting does not have the seven day life span that pinning does.
Pixel Sizes to Keep in Mind
Sizes for the new Timeline Pages
Cover image-850 X 315 pixels
Profile/Logo- 125X 125 Update April 25, 2012 Facebook Changed the profile photo size to 160×160 pixels
Apps (Tab) Icons- 111 X 74 pixels
Page Size Width – 810 pixels
Known Bugs to be Aware of:
Recommendations
A note about recommendations:
With the new layout, there have been glitches and bugs. Some of these will get worked out in time and others may not. Most of them are not a major issue. The main one to be aware of is that sometimes when pages convert to the new timeline the recommendations that your fans have written disappear.
These recommendations may be very important to you. We recommend you take a screenshot of your recommendations. That way, if they disappear, you can show them as an image and have them for your personal use.
App Images
When you choose to change the image of an app under the cover image, it may show random images rather than the one you uploaded. This is a known bug. If this happens, just go back to settings and choose “delete” the image and you’ll go back to having the default image. In time, this glitch may be taken care of, but as of now it’s still likely to be an issue.
Additional Resources:
Additional FAQ Help from Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/help/pages/new-design
Facebook’s Guidelines
http://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php
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