Facebook Pages Change Over this Week

Expect your Facebook page to change whether or not your business is ready for it by the end of the week. So what is the minimum that you need to do?

You need a graphic---851px x 315px. If it's not the right size it will be cut by Facebook's program and sometimes that doesn't look so great. Once the photo/graphic is uploaded it can be moved around if necessary to get the photo at the best advantage.

You'll also need a square image 180px x 180px. Your logo or picture that you have been using may be something that you can continue to use. Or this is may be an opportune time to update your images and make sure that your whole front page reflects your branding and what you do. 

Updating these images is the bare minimum that needs to be done. There are a many things that you can add to the body of the page and many things you can do to manipulate the information on your page to make a better experience for your visitors.  

 

Your Facebook Profile Picture

Facebook's new format places that Profile Picture at even a bigger premium than before. In a square 180 pixels by 180 pixels you need to tell the world who you are---your brand. And some of the biggest brands miss the boat.

I cringed when visiting one of my favorite congressman's page and found that his profile was a picture of him at a podium---several feet back from the podium. It's even doubtful if anyone could make out who was at the podium with 3000 pixels---a missed opportunity.

There is no mistaking Coke's profile picture though, even as they are adjusting the branding again. Amazon, Tide, Target, and Kmart all cram their branding into 180 pixels by 180 pixels that is easily identifiable no matter how small the image is reduced---a challenge well met.  
 

Facebook Timeline

We're busy re-doing Facebook pages this week. I've looked at many of the big guys pages to get ideas--see what they're doing; they, after all have huge staffs.

I like Walmart's page the best so far. They're page is bright and fresh---the framed pictures are representative of Walmart customers and products, yet the cover photo still complies with Facebook guidelines. Brand identification is Walmart's sunny logo---not quite what I'd pick but it is growing in identification.

The "about" section includes a quote from Sam Walton that personifies Walmart's mission---an excellent subtle marketing effort for this area. I would have added a link to the Walmart website to this area.

But the best part of this page is what they did to the links section. A spot for photo's, a local Walmart locator, feedback link, and meal recipes are sure to draw customers in to socialize, engage, and share in Walmart's space.