Facebook Brand Pages: How To Be Ready

Two weeks ago, social media blogs were buzzing with the news that Facebook would unveil the long anticipated new format for Facebook brand pages that would include the timeline and cover image.    Mari Smith, in this informative post,  gave us a sneak peek at what it might look like for a big brand like Coke.    According to Mari, there have been rumors that the new format will be shared at the Facebook Marketing Conference on February 29th in NYC.   Tomorrow’s  event is invite only, but it will be live streamed  here.
The best thing to do is not to freak out,  I would add that you shouldn’t worry about being the first because according to Mari’s post, they plan to roll it out with a small group of brands and then a fuller roll out.   And also, it is still a rumor at this stage.   And as Mari mentions on a comment on a thread on her page:

“We truly never know with Facebook… it could be a slow rollout like personal Timelines (though speculation is that was primarily due to the timelines.com lawsuit)… or it could be a sudden BAM, everyone is upgraded, have at it!!! “

If Facebook does decide to flip a switch faster than expected and your nonprofit isn’t the first to add a cover image,  will that spell disaster instead of success?    Fast implementation is less important than being effective and strategic – so stay calm.   But, don’t go into denial either, these resources, that I found through Mari Smith’s Facebook Page will help you and your team come up with a plan.
Here they are:

1.   Understand how the format changes how people see your page. This eye tracking study points out what visual elements will be the best important and why.   If you work with a graphic designer, this is good information to share.  The timeline cover photo is what people notice first, so make sure it makes the impression you want – and the advice is less is more.   Mashable did a post speculating what a good cover image might look like and more here by simply zesty.    If you need a cheat sheet that gives you the dimensions, check out this one – with a word of warning.   The dimensions are for the images on the personal profiles and the old brand pages, who knows if the dimensions be the same in the new format.
2.   Understand how the format changes impacts your strategy. This post gives you some great readiness tips – for example how the changes might impact your editorial calendar and how to communicate with fans about the changes.    This is a terrific post to bring to a strategy meeting on the changes with others on your team.
3.   Understand how the format might impact your measurement strategy: If you aren’t measuring how your content is engaging and resonating with your fans as part of your content strategy decision-making, hop to it.   Here’s some tips and ideas to get you started.   For those of you who already have a measurement habit, you might notice that FB Insights data has been slow lately.    That is being fixed.  But the big news according to TechCrunch is that Insights is planning to offer “real time data” analysis.    But remember, to get the best results you need both real-time and trend data.
Are you ready for possible new changes to Facebook Brand pages?