FACEBOOK: How the Advent of Timeline Makes Promoting a Business Even More Effective

January 15, 2013 · 84 comments

This is a guest post by Christopher Wallace, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Amsterdam Printing Promotional Products to share tips on using Facebook Timelines. This is an example of a Facebook Business Page with a Timeline Image:

Example of a Facebook Business Fan Page Timeline Image

Amsterdam Printing Facebook Timeline ~ Click image to see it live on Facebook

Facebook Timelines

Facebook created a clear distinction between how businesses and individuals can use the social networking site when it launched Timelines last year. With Timeline, which provides a fresh new look for the site, individuals share their personal information in a profile, while companies can promote their business on a page.

[NOTE: It actually violates Facebook's policy for a company to create a profile. If you accidentally did this, see How To Convert or Migrate A Facebook Profile Into A Business Page]

Although using Facebook as a marketing platform for a business is nothing new, some of the features introduced with Timeline offer new possibilities for companies seeking to promote their brand.

Cover & Profile Images

Gone are the days when a small single photograph was the primary visual image available to companies trying to get some visibility on Facebook. Today, through Timeline, Facebook users have the opportunity to create much more visual interest with the new, larger cover photo, which if used wisely can function much like a billboard.

Your cover photo and the smaller, inset profile photo are
the first things people see when they enter your Timeline.
So be sure to optimize these areas first.

Although Timeline’s new look has advantages for businesses utilizing Facebook to promote their brand, there are some limitations. For example, cover photos cannot include overt advertising, such as pricing or direct contact information. Therefore, depending on the nature of your business, you might have to get the creative juices flowing to get users’ attention.

Because images of products and company logos are fair game, there are a lot of options available. For example, larger companies with lots of brand recognition can rely on recognizable logos. Take Coca-Cola, for example. Coca-Cola’s cover photo features various images of the company’s ubiquitous logo (http://www.facebook.com/cocacola).

Another interesting idea is incorporating the cover photo and the profile picture together. Our company took this approach on our Amsterdam Printing Facebook Page, and we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the design.

Hubspot Guide to Timelines for Facebook Fan Pages for Smallbiz

Click this image to download Hubspot’s Free Facebook Timeline Guide

Stories

Posts, status updates, and uploaded photos are called “stories” on Facebook, with the idea that individuals and businesses can utilize Facebook as a platform to tell their complete life story. The information posted is viewed in reverse chronological order, so companies can feature important milestones in the life of the business, update users on important news, and advertise special promotions.

Update Often

For some businesses, it may be prudent to change your cover photo periodically to showcase new products or services and to keep the page feeling fresh. In addition, companies should take advantage of the free opportunity to update information about their businesses by constantly adding new, enticing content.

For example, restaurants are increasingly providing daily photos showing specials and featured dishes in an effort to entice diners. In short, if users anticipate regular updates, they are more likely to visit often.

Engage Users

Facebook provides a unique interactive forum, unlike television or print advertisements, where companies can connect on a more intimate level with consumers and even establish solid relationships.

If the look and content of your Facebook page engages someone, that person may “like” the page or share it with friends, thus generating exposure and creating more personal connections.

Pinned Posts

Particularly important information that a company wants to highlight can be “pinned,” which creates a prominent display at the top of the Timeline for a period of seven days.

Promoted Posts

Although posting information (such as a sale or special offer) on a Facebook page may generate interest among those users who have officially “liked” your company’s page, promoted posts potentially provide much more exposure.

Clicking the “promote” icon after you’ve already typed the content allows that information to be seen by people who are connected to those who have “liked” your company’s page. In addition, companies can target individuals in a particular city or region while promoting a post.

Customize Featured Tabs

A company’s Facebook page generally displays four tabs, one of which is reserved for photos and the others can be customized. You can monitor which tabs generate the most interest among users, and savvy businesses will use that information to gauge when it’s time to change things around. See Hubspot’s How to Create Custom Tabs for Facebook Business Pages for more details.

How to Create Facebook Timeline Images

If you want to do this yourself, Ileane @BasicBlogTips recommends the Facebook Timeline Splicer Pro App. Mari Smith shared last month that Facebook Single Column Timeline Designs Rolled Out so it is likely there will be a similar design for businesses. If it is already out I haven’t seen it yet.

21 Key Points to cover when creating your Facebook Page Timeline

Click this image to see Mari Smith’s annotated Guide to Optimizing Facebook Timelines for Business Fan Pages: 21 Key Points to Know

Find a Facebook Timeline Graphic Designer

Mari Smith compiled a spreadsheet of graphic designers who create Facebook Timeline images. Read her post for more details by clicking the image below:

This is Mari Smith’s Facebook Timeline ~ Click this image to read her post about Facebook Timeline Cover Images or to find a Graphic Designer for your Facebook Timeline.

Facebook Timeline Resources

Facebook Timeline How-to Videos

The video below contains very useful details on how to use Facebook Timelines and Timeline Tips and Tricks. If you know whether anything in this video is or is not applicable only to business or personal timelines, please let us know in the comments and we’ll update this post and credit you for the information.

Facebook Business Page Resources

Facebook Engagement

Facebook Advertising

The leading expert on Facebook advertising we recommend is Aimclear. Their latest post on Facebook Advertising Updates! 2013 Brings More Fresh #FB Ads Features & Functions could be useful to you.

We caution our readers that if they choose to spend money with Facebook that they carefully monitor their results. See these posts for why:

This post was written by Christopher Wallace, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Amsterdam Printing (www.amsterdamprinting.com). Christopher has more than 20 years experience in sales and marketing.

Amsterdam Printing is a leading provider of custom pens and other promotional items such as personalized USB drives. Christopher focuses on providing quality marketing materials to small, mid-size and large businesses.

Tagged as: facebook, facebook marketing, facebook timelines, social media

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Mobile Office Cleveland January 30, 2013 at 5:06 am: Well written. This article was very helpful and informative. I’ve been trying to brief my boss on how to use her new facebook page for our trailer rental company, and I think this article will get her rolling on the right track. I have to say that though the sponsored stories and ads on facebook can be pricey I know a few fellow business owners who have used them on facebook and have gotten excellent feedback and results.
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Steve January 29, 2013 at 1:22 am: This time facebook really a big space to share something and create adds, upload photos and more functions available that can make your marketing stronger, you can create a question answer quiz so that people answer about that and also given reviews .

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Salman Ahmad January 26, 2013 at 7:03 pm: Modifying Time might be good to some extent but i use fan pages to promote my online business.
Salman Ahmad would love you to read ..5 Easy Guidelines To speed Up WordPress Blog

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Michele Welch Twitter: Michele_Welch January 26, 2013 at 1:50 pm: Thanks for including my video… truly appreciate it. I see there are a few others I haven’t seen that I’m looking forward to viewing. Thanks for putting this together. Killer post Gail! It may take me a couple of days to go through this, LOL.

Warmest regards,
Michele

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nelnel who writes about fire emblem awakening January 24, 2013 at 11:07 pm: thanks for sharing this very informative article about Facebook’s Timeline. i think this comprehensive list of references would be useful to any kind of business organization.
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Jules January 24, 2013 at 3:42 pm: In addition , in Facebook, everyone is free to post and advertise links on their page, on other people’s walls, on fan pages and so forth. Your post is the start of your success in business. When it catches their attention, you can get their trust on you and can build a better relationship with them that leads to drive more traffic to your site. People would like to know about what your product or service can do to them.

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piyush joshi January 24, 2013 at 6:17 am: hi,

nice very nice initially i think how asocial networking sites really helpful for attract the traffic for the blogger but after reading this blog new idea are generating in my mind and i suppose they definetly works.

thanks for the idea
piyush joshi would love you to read ..7 (Radical?) Ways to Take Your Blogging To Another Level In 2013

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Megan January 23, 2013 at 3:37 am: Hi Christopher, thanks for sharing this information. Some really interesting ideas and strategies to mull over. I am very familiar with Facebook groups and use them very much. Just yesterday, I was mousing over the like button on a page and it served up a menu for create a “special interest list”. Do you have any clue about this? It was kind of new to me. Are they just a means for organizing likes? Seeking for help. Thanks.

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Dragos January 22, 2013 at 5:56 am: Many bloggers or site owners will soon start to reconsider the social impact Facebook can have on their business, I see sales, services promoted on Facebook, handmade stuff and a lot more. Now that they are planing to make it search engine also it will have a big importance in networking, traffic influencing, building an audience.
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Anchit Shethia January 22, 2013 at 3:40 am: The more attractive the Facebook Profile you have, more the engagement you will see between you and your friends I have experienced it.
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Ithauphy January 22, 2013 at 3:20 am: I believe Facebook is the best way to promote our business, becouse Facebook has milions of users worldwide. Facebook Timeline’s Photo is also determine “People Trust” to our business, it will descibe what we do and what we sell
Ithauphy would love you to read ..How To Use Facebook For Marketing

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Vikram January 22, 2013 at 3:08 am: Facebook is the king of online advertisement world. If you are doing any type of online business then Facebook is must now a days. You have pointed out some really important facts that many people forgets. Thanks for your concern.
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Dorothy January 22, 2013 at 2:32 am: At first I DON’T like the new FB timeline and ntil now I still don’t like it, but we really dont have a choice do we? Facebook has been part of my life and I can’t stay away from it. My only way to connect with my friends and love ones who are far away.

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folla lorena January 22, 2013 at 12:18 am: Nice post.very much effective for Facebook users.I like to post more and more.thanks for sharing.I feel happy.Know more about web site design.web design dubai

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Mario January 21, 2013 at 10:14 pm: Yes, Timeline has a very short learning curve so most businesses will adapt to the changes the day that they take place. With the introduction of this new feature, businesses will now have personalities and will be able to tell their story from the start, which has not been offered before.

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ella who writes about textures January 21, 2013 at 8:33 pm: facebook timelines will help in many ways like enage users, impression etc..

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Wendy January 21, 2013 at 5:57 pm: Thanks for the tips.

I do find the app placement quite annoying on the new timeline. I hope they rectify it in the future.

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Yasir Khan January 21, 2013 at 1:20 pm: Facebook has become a part of many people’s lives. It is not only useful to individuals, it is also a great way for businesses to build their network and market their brand by creating a Facebook timeline fan page.

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Guy Stuff January 21, 2013 at 8:11 am: You guys have probably became the only ones who had something positive to say about Facebook’s Timeline haha. I’m not a fan of it.
Guy Stuff would love you to read ..Happy Martin Luther King Day

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Kiesha who writes about Web Design LA Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/337design January 21, 2013 at 2:47 am: Well Well Well, absolutely true, Facebook timeline really working when you want to promote your brand, the cover photo is really the new way to highlight your website related services, products across people! I love new way of timeline in facebook!

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