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With the success of Facebook’s first Marketing Conference (FMC) this week and the concurrent release of Timeline for brands, many marketers are wondering how to incorporate all the new features and functionality into their campaigns.

We’ve pulled together the most important information that you’ll need to manage a smooth transition to the new Facebook layout. Below you’ll find a variety of tips, information and sizing of images, as well as other helpful hints about what to avoid.

New Features Announced at the Facebook Marketing Conference:

- View and Apps: Tabs, now referred to as application pages, can now have customizable images associated with them; and their order can be rearranged. We’ve updated our page so you can see what a customized Timeline looks like.

- Pinning Content: Working on an important campaign? It is now possible to ‘pin’ a post to the top of your Timeline. This is a great way to drive traffic to your application page or tab.

- Featured ‘Starred‘ Content: It’s also possible to feature content on your Timeline. This will extend the content or image across your entire page width wise; making it more prominent.

- Cover Photos – Cover Photos are also a great way to welcome the community to your page and announce campaigns. There are some important policies around these images though, keep reading for more information below.

- Page Dimensions – Facebook has changed the dimensions of application pages (see below for a link to the details). If you’re an SML user, you’ve already got everything you need to update your page on your own. If you’re using Involver’s App Suite we’ll be updating those applications soon.

- Removal of Default Landing Pages – Facebook has removed default landing pages and replaced them with other options to allow brands to drive content to application pages. You can now use your Cover Photo and Pinned stories to drive users to your application pages. It is also still possible to link directly to application pages from posts, ads and out of Facebook. For more details click here.

- For more information make sure to check out our recent blog about FMC.

Getting Started with Timeline:

When logging in and accessing your Facebook Brand Page, you’ll see the below message as an admin:

When will my Page get the new design?

To turn on your Timeline preview for the new Pages design, simply click on the green button at the top of your page. Or you can wait until all Pages are automatically upgraded on March 30th, 2012.

Where can I learn more about how to use the new Pages?

There are many places to learn more about Pages:

- For information about new features, download the Pages Overview Guide from here.

- If you’re new to Pages and want to know how to get started, check out Facebook’s full Pages Product Guide by downloading it here.

- Walk through key features with Facebook’s product experts in the Pages Learning Video

- To find examples to specific questions, visit Facebook’s Help Center

One of the most common questions we’ve received from customers is:

How should I choose a cover photo for my Page?

Use a unique image that represents your Page. Facebook suggests this might be a photo of a popular menu item, album artwork or a picture of people using your product. Be creative and experiment with images your audience responds well to.

Things to Note for Cover Images:

Cover Images must be at least 399 pixels wide and may not contain the following:

- Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website”

- Contact information such as web address, email mailing address or other information intended for your Page’s About section.

- References to use interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features.

- Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”

All cover images are public, which means anyone visiting your Page will be able to see the image you choose. Cover Photos must not be false, deceptive or misleading, and must not infringe on third parties’ intellectual property. You may not encourage or incentivize people to upload your cover image to their personal Timelines.

Overall, we are very excited about the new feature Facebook has released; they continue to deliver amazing and innovative services to the market. At Involver we’re committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information so that you can best leverage your social investments. We’d be thrilled to hear your feedback about Timeline and invite you to visit us on our own Facebook Timeline here.

Best Regards,

Roland Smart

Senior Director of Product Marketing

Roland Smart leads product strategy for Involver and is responsible for innovating in three key product areas, including the Audience Management Platform, Social Markup Language, and the Application Suite. Smart has a broad range of experience with social technology and advertising, having led the marketing team at Sprout/AdVine, a leading social/mobile ad creation platform.

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