Remember when Facebook revamped itself last year? When it launched a redesigned Home Page and Profile Page, with a less cluttered, more organized format (tabs in the Profile)? Recently, news has been going around that Facebook will be rolling out the same redesign for its business Pages. (Just to clarify for those not entirely familiar yet with Facebook terminology: the Profile is your personal page, while a business Page is usually a corporate/branded page that you are a “Fan” of). According to Inside Facebook, “With the Pages redesign, business Pages will now look much more like Facebook profile pages… [with] a “Wall and tabs” design:
- The Wall tab, containing all the latest updates and Wall posts, will become front and center.
- Most static information will live on an “Info” tab, and most Photos will now live on a “Photos” tab.
- Most custom content and application boxes will be moved to a “Boxes” tab, though some narrow boxes can remain on the “Wall” tab.
- Page admins can add more application tabs to their Page if they so choose.
In addition, Page admins can now share Status Updates on their page like regular Facebook users can on their own profile.”
As we know, Facebook Pages offer brands a powerful presence in their consumers’ daily lives. The new Page design will make it easier for Pages to reach out to Fans, and for users to interact more with the Page.
Below is a sample of the Facebook Page new design:
Basically, the new Wall tab will make the Pages more updated and interactive as users can easily see the notes, photos, videos, and other info shared by the brands/companies/celebrities/musicians, etc. Content posted on the Wall will also show up on the Fans’ News Feed, which will not only lessen the need to send an email update each time there is a new update but also give the Page a more organic feel.
Also, Pages will have status updates too (again just to clarify, a status update is when you see individual users stating things like “Bianca is currently watching the Celtics game.” So for the new Page redesign, a business page can have a status like “Overdrive Interactive is currently hosting a Social Media Webinar” ).
With the multiple tabs, Page owners can also choose a “landing page” where users will be directed to when visiting the page. And of course with the Boxes tab, the new Pages will present more opportunities to innovate and promote applications. We are excited for this because it will give brands more leeway and valuable space to customize content.
The same article on Inside Facebook discusses more specifics, and key next steps for Page admins/owners:
- Choose a profile picture for the new Page (just a standard image, not FBML, Flash or iFrame boxes).
- Manage tab settings – choose the “landing tab” and customize Wall settings.
- Prepare to rearrange applications on the boxes tab.
We think this new redesign will help more businesses do social media marketing more effectively and efficiently, as it lets brand pages be more engaging and dynamic. After all, Facebook’s mission is to make the world more open and connected. With these upcoming changes, friends, fans, brands, companies, artists, and more are given new opportunities to share and naturally weave in and out of the Facebook experience.
