Facebook Timeline Overview for Brand Managers

By: Ashlee Richards (_ashleer)

Well, folks. They’ve done it again.  Just as you thought your brand’s fan page was completely built out and finally at its peak, our good friends at Facebook threw us another change-up. They like to keep us on our toes, don’t they?  You can gripe and moan all you want… maybe even threaten to delete the account, but we all know that’s not going to happen. So take a few moments to shake your fist angrily at a photo of Mark Zuckerberg (ready… go), then just accept and adapt… mainly because you have no choice.  By March 30th all pages will be automatically updated to the Timeline layout.  You only have about a week left to preview and tweak before you publish, so you better get on it!

When I was asked to write a post about Timeline for pages, I thought “What can I write that’s not already out there?” But then I realized what I had looked for, but haven’t come across yet… a short, sweet, to the point, synopsis of what to expect with this whole Timeline thing and how to efficiently update the brand pages I manage.  Let’s be honest, we are busy people, and we don’t have time to scour multiple 50-page white papers and blog posts to uncover the 3 pages of actual information! So what I’m going to do is take everything I’ve learned via research and trial and error, and lay it out for you in a  comprehensive format that may be easily referenced.  We’ll go over the major effects that Timeline will have on your pages, and how to take advantage of those changes.  We’ll take a look at a couple of Timeline pages done well, and I’ll provide some great (and free!) resources you can use to optimize your page.

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Congratulations and a big shout-out for Ashlee Richards, newly certified as a CSMA (Certified Social Marketing Associate) for Eilert Communications! Ashlee earned the designation through years of experience in social media, hours of study and passing an exam required by the Department of Education for Certifications of the eMarketing Association. The eMarketing Association is an international association of marketers committed to the advancement and excellence of marketing in the digital era.

What does this mean to you? Our commitment to excellence and continual learning in our field means you receive marketing excellence. Certification demonstrates competency and commitment to social marketing as a science, and to continuous education in the field. Ashlee’s commitment to excellence is reflected in this certification.

Congratulations, Ashlee!

Recommended must read: Is your social media expert really an expert? The top 25 ways to find out.

This new post by Peter Shankman and Sarah Evans (both experts) nail the differences between those who claim to be experts and those who really are experts in social media. Social media is, of course, the hot marketing topic de jour, surrounded by tons of hype and more than a few charlatans. Peter and Sarah do a great job (as usual) of showing how to spot the posers.

Social media may not fit every organization’s goals and does require on-going attention. And the elements may vary from business to business. Not everyone needs to be on all of the “latest and greatest” platforms. Beware of anyone who makes a blanket claim to that effect.

How people converse speeds up relative to the plates in the air. At least that’s my theory. Meetings, planning, travel. All of it adds up to managing hectic lifestyles in micro seconds. So if you cannot grab attention in 3 seconds, it is often gone.

We used to call it the Blackberry test. If your colleagues faded to check their Blackberry, the point was not compelling or relevant enough to stay engaged in the conversation.

Social media seems like that. 140 characters or less to Twitter a relevant message. Is that so different from headlines? Not really.

Effective marketing has always been about earning attention. Fast. Because if you do, most people will stop and learn more. If you miss, then they move on.

And rightfully so.

Just caught Peter Shankman’s talk at the PRSA Tar Heel Chapter.  Worth the watch. Social media is buzzed about everywhere. If you want to cut through the nonsense and see the real deal, watch the video. Good stuff, plus he’s got a great sense of humor.