Today Facebook announced that that timeline layout was coming for Facebook pages on March 30, 2012.
We knew this was coming but until today we didn’t have many details.
Facebook’s announcement page didn’t include specific information about what this would mean for those of us who have created custom tabs using iframes so I dug through the Help file a bit and found answers to my most pressing questions.
You can preview how the timeline looks for your page, which I have done, but you don’t have to publish it or have it look like timeline for your visitors until Facebook flips the switch. I did not publish mine because I need to spend more time with it first – for example, I need to create a header image based on the logo from this site.
Important Details about the Change
- You will NOT be able to set a default landing tab for new visitors to the page. This is the only change that really bothers me and I really hope that Facebook reconsiders. Studies have shown that a custom landing tab results in a higher conversion rate. And if you have something special that you want to promote, such as a Sweepstakes, not being able to set that as the default tab may result in less entries. Also, what will really be the point of a custom welcome tab if everyone is going to land on the Wall? Will many people bother to look at it?
- Tabs will now be in the 4 blocks below the cover photo and you can set which ones appear. There will be 12 available blocks and visitors can click to view the ones that aren’t in the default 4 blocks. So, you can still have custom tabs and they will be created the same way but will be available in a different location.
- If you want to highlight a tab or a Sweepstakes you can link to it in a Wall post and pin the post. Pinning it will keep it at the top of the wall for 7 days. If you use WordPress, this is similar to the sticky post feature, which keeps that post at the top of a list of posts. WordPress sticky posts, however, don’t have an expiration date – they stay sticky until you turn them off.
- Instead of an Edit Page button the right, there is a link that says Admin Panel. Clicking on that will show you activity information, such as new likes and an insights snapshot. At the top there is a button called Manage, that will take you to the Edit page section that you are accustomed to. I would like a more direct way to get to Edit Page and, if there is one, I didn’t locate it.
I recently read an article where it was argued that Timeline is a mistake for Facebook because the site has always been about what is happening now but Timeline changes it to an historical record keeper. I tend to agree. But, I don’t now to get emotionally invested and instead simply try to determine how the developments will affect my work in a positive and negative way and what new things I need to learn. I must admit, however, that keeping up with Facebook can get tiring.
Lily Rose says
I’ve checked out the Timeline as soon as it appeared and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s a bit confusing at first but you get the hang of it very soon.
Jean says
The Timeline a pretty good feature. Didn’t like it too much at first but it’s grown on me over the past few months. I do agree with you about the landing page issue. I hope they listen to us and address that.
-Jean
Kim Woodbridge says
Hi Jean – It doesn’t look like they are going to change their mind on that – I was hoping it would happen but I think it would have by now.
Marbella says
Hi Kim,
Your last sentence in the article is perfect, “that keeping up with Facebook Can get tiring.” I have given up for long time ago, I do not have time to test and verify all the changes they make.
Kim Woodbridge says
Hi – It’s really starting to become a full time job and keeping up with Facebook changes is only a small part of what I do – I can’t keep up.
ByBe says
I personally hate the time line crap, sorry but it is, I’m one of these people who love the old Facebook, I know change is good for most companies to carry on expanding but I really do think somethings in life are better of simple, Facebook used to be really simple, and now its becoming far to complex, people want to talk to current friends and re-establish lost friendships, making facebook into this engine where it does everything is silly.
Just my 2 cents, but meh
Simon.H
ByBe
Jean says
I do agree with you on that. What drew me to Facebook in the first place was how simple and uncomplicated it was compared to most of the other popular social networking sites of the time but now it has become even more complicated than any of those sites.
-Jean
Kim Woodbridge says
I’ve never found Facebook to be simple – settings are hard to find, the help file isn’t a big help, and there is really no way to get good support.
Kim Woodbridge says
I don’t love Timeline either – they have turned FB into historical content rather than what is going on now. I don’t go to people’s timelines very often either – I tend to follow what is going on in the News Stream.
Gert says
I have to admit that I am ashamed that I do not know what this “timeline” change is all about. I guess I just have to test it out at some or other time but I rarely get time to facebook nowadays. I most likely will be one of those people who will wake up to a sudden forced change of their facebook layout. And survive it – I suppose :-)
The fact that they change the way facebook handle “pages” is what has kept me from really digging into facebook page creation.
Kim Woodbridge says
Hi Gert – It seems like as soon as I get a handle on changes for pages, FB changes it again and I have to relearn a lot of material. Timeline is supposed to be made live on all pages on March 30th.
Cameron Marks says
One main thing that I have noticed is the growth in application possibilities for pages. In past “Upgrades” our canvass size has been downgraded but finally we are actually giving the option for our canvass page to be 520px or 810px, which I believe is a pretty big deal!
Now the one thing I just cannot figure out and I am hoping that someone here can figure it out.. In the pages that Facebook resigned to showcase the new business pages ex. http://www.facebook.com/amysicecreams , Amy’s Ice Cream has a beautiful app thumbnail for their Free Birthday Ice Cream app and I cannot seem to recreate it, in the coding for the page it says that the image is 110px X 75px. So I created an image to that size and it came out fuzzy but definitely didnt fill the thumbnail, I then doubled the image size and it is clearer, but still not full filled. Has anyone else looked into this or played around with it yet?
Kim Woodbridge says
Have you tried again? That size should work without any problems. I’ve been adding them for clients and when I use the specified size it works fine.
Hillary says
I already switched to the timeline theme and really like it. I look forward to seeing yours.