iCrossing POV: Guide to the Facebook Timeline

7/29/2019 iCrossing POV: Guide to the Facebook Timeline

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ICROSSING POV:

A GUIDE TO FACEBOOKS TIMELINEWritten by the iCrossing Social Media Team

FACEBOOK TIMELINE FOR MARKETERS:BRANDS MUST BE PUBLISHERS NOW MORE THAN EVER

Facebook Timeline for brands requires marketers to prioritise content strategy and

engaging experiences. Accumulating "Likes" is no longer an acceptable key

performance indicator. Companies must now carefully develop editorial and

engagement plans in order to use Facebook to build connected brands, or close

relationships with audiences formed by being useful, usable, desirable, visible and

engaging.

This document contains key learnings, updates, and several recommended next steps

for marketers regarding Facebook Timeline for brands. The iCrossing Social Media

team will continually test the new features in order to update our best practices and

optimise effectiveness for our clients.

KEY LEARNINGS: HOW THE CHANGES AFFECTS MARKETERS

On 30th

March all Facebook Pages migrated to the Timeline format, providing brands with the ability to

creatively personalise their Pages and expand engagement through a diverse set of post types. The

Timeline update evolved Facebook into a full-scale, social marketing platform with an increased focus on

three key areas:

Expression:A Pages visual branding and narrative

Reach: New ways to ensure more meaningful engagement on the web and on mobile throughPinned Posts, Friend Activity, Starred Content, Milestones and Backdating, Offers, and Open

Graph applications

Response: Expanded Admin and new Message features

These changes are most reflected in the ability to brand the Page and curate posts on the highly visual

Timeline, which is a powerful story-telling and strategic tool for marketers. Timeline offers a more diverse


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ICROSSING POV: FACEBOOK TIMELINE FOR BRANDS APRIL 2012

ICROSSING, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2

collection of content around experiences, events, and topics that brands can capitalise on in highly

engaging ways.

Timeline for Brands:

Allows for more precise definition of the brand through a more visual layout (See:Red Bull)

Connects with consumers by introducing a brands history, meaningful stories and key milestones

in Timeline (See:The New York TimesandCoca Cola)

Builds stronger consumer relationships through the ability to receive and respond to direct

messages, as well as monitor post-level activity through the updated Admin Panel, creating the

opportunity for one-to-one and overall responsive messaging

Allows consumers to more prominently see how their Friends are engaging with the brand in

three ways:

The number of Friends who have Liked the Page

A view of Status Updates a Friend has written about the brand, regardless of

whether theyve Liked it or tagged it in the post

A view of Friends interaction with branded apps

Facebook Open Graph (e.g. Spotify)

Adds a new post type called Offers, allowing brands to feature direct marketing promotions and

deals on their Page (free), and as ads, which can be claimed and shared by Fans and theirFriends

Makes real-time earned and paid media connections that multiply reach and engagement through

Reach Generator, including Facebooks updated Sponsored Stories and new premium ad units
http://www.facebook.com/redbullhttp://www.facebook.com/redbullhttp://www.facebook.com/redbullhttp://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttp://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttp://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttp://www.facebook.com/cocacolahttp://www.facebook.com/cocacolahttp://www.facebook.com/cocacolahttp://www.facebook.com/cocacolahttp://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttp://www.facebook.com/redbull


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QUICKSTART GUIDE: 10 KEY NEW FEATURES OF TIMELINE FOR BRANDS

1. Cover Photo (850 x 315) The Cover Photo is the first image a visitor will see when arriving to the

Page. Cover Photo is where creativity begins; it should be thought of as a visual status update as it

sets the tone and theme for the Brand Page. Use this space as a cue of what is to come and update

it regularly to keep the community fresh and inviting.

2. Profile Picture (180 x 180 32 x 32) The logo in the Profile Picture is the visual representation of

the brand personality across Facebook (i.e. News Feed, ads, and off-platform social plugins) in a 32 x

32 thumbnail. The iCrossing Social Media team recommends use of the brand logo for the profile

picture to ensure consistency and brand recognition.

3. About (150 characters) Promotional copy in the About section should be used to encourage the

target audience to engage with the Page. Additional characters are truncated with a Read More link.

4. Apps Thumbnails (111 x 74) Facebook Tabs are now Apps. Left navigation is replaced with four

thumbnail images and a drop-down arrow, representing additional apps associated with the Page.

The Photos app is fixed to the first position, leaving three configurable spaces in the default view.

5. Were here Stat For brands that have created physical locations in Facebook Places, a metric is

displayed showing the number of people that have checked-in to a brand-related location.


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6. Pinned PostsA new post strategy allows brands to curate content as a sticky post, and pin it to the

top left spot in its Timeline for up to 7 days, a prime position for above-the-fold exposure and

greater engagement.

7. Friends Following the success of Sponsored Stories, the Friends box offers each visitor a unique

view of all Friends who have Liked the Page.

8. Friend ActivityAn extension of the box above, different types of activities are displayed in this

space:

A status update mentioning the brand, regardless of whether it is @tagged or not

A was here story for a check-in to a retail location

Engagement via an Open Graph application such as listening to a song on Spotify (friends

listened) and watching a VEVO video (friends watched)


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9. Starred PostsAs a way of drawing attention to content below the fold, highlight a post with a star

and it expands across both columns of Timeline.

10. Backdating & MilestonesThrough this feature, posts can tell a story in Timeline going as far back

as 1000 A.D. Milestones are used for key events and achievements. Change Date can place content

on a precise day, month and year.

A DEEPER LOOK AT TIMELINE FOR BRANDS

With an increased focus on visuals in Timeline, there are many ways for brands to customise content,

build audiences and engagement, and connect with influencers on Facebook. The following are some

key updates the iCrossing Social Media team suggests that brands pay particular attention to.

Cover Photo

Cover Photo enables brands to define their personality and the message they want to communicate.

Unlike the logo in the Profile Picture, Cover Photo should be regularly updated, preferably in creative

ways, as it is an excellent opportunity for brands to engage their audience.


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Below are some examples ofunique ways brands are using Cover Photo:

AT&Tfeatures a rotating mosaic of consumers photos.

The New York Timeshumanises their brand, showcasing staff and headquarters.
https://www.facebook.com/ATThttps://www.facebook.com/ATThttps://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttps://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttps://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttps://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttps://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttps://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttps://www.facebook.com/nytimeshttps://www.facebook.com/ATThttps://www.facebook.com/ATThttps://www.facebook.com/ATT


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Page Apps

Timeline includes a maximum allowance of 12 apps per Page. Only three non-native apps appear

above the fold and brands must strategically consider which apps to highlight in these spaces.

Timeline also allows brands with retail shops to include the Maps app, which displays nearby locations

based on IP address and, when available, mobile GPS.

Public Insights

Facebook users clicking the Likes app have the ability to see high-level Page Insights, which

previously were available only to Page Administrators. These include:

People Talking About This featured as a highlight

Aggregate total Likes featured as a highlight

Most Popular Week

Most Popular City

Most Popular Age Group

New Likes Per Week - graphically represented

Weekly Number of People Talking About the Page - graphically represented

Friends Who Like the page - featuring friend avatars

Timeline also displays monthly Activity posts that include People Who Like This and People Talking

About This Insights. This content cannot be hidden.


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Pinned Posts

Page Admins can curate engaging posts orprioritise messaging by pinning content to the first position

on the left Timeline column. By pinning a particular post with the small orange flag, the pin is made visible

in two locations:

1. At the top of Timeline, for up to seven days, always preceding any new content that is

subsequently posted

2. In its chronological place in the Timeline

If a brand seeks to keep a post pinned for longer than seven days, it can be re-pinned for an additional

seven days after the initial week expires. Only one post can be pinned at a time, although it can be

changed at the brands discretion.

Pinned posts are a great opportunity for brands to highlight important content and promote certain

messages for maximum visibility and engagement.


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Starred and Hidden Stories

Timeline allows brands to feature important and well-received stories by adding a star, expanding the

post from a single side on Timeline to span across both columns. This feature helps consumers to quickly

see what the brand finds important or interesting, and drive activity down the Page. Unlike Pinned Posts,

brands can star multiple stories throughout Timeline.

Additionally, Page Admins can hide or delete stories on the Timeline that are not as engaging or

relevant.

Friend Activity

Timeline features social mentions and Friend activity in a different format compared with previous

iterations of Facebook. Consumers can quickly see their Friends activities and opinions in relation to the

brand in a column at the top right hand side and scattered throughout Timeline. Consumers can see

which of their friends already Like the Page and stories their friends have created about the brand. The

stories pulled here are based on mentions of, and links to, brands across online properties, and will be

unique to every user.

Brands do not need to be @tagged to be included in this stream. Consequently, brands need to consider

some critical implications. Since stories are pulled by the simple mention of a brand, the content of a

Friends post may be of positive or negative sentiment.


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The following are key changes to note:

Messages The ability for anyone to directly message the brand and for the audience manager to

privately respond to the individual. Audience managers can also easily keep track of

conversations that have occurred within the social space.

Manage Page administrators are able to edit brand page content, see banned users, and get a

snapshot of the Page activity with the option: Use Activity Log. Build AudienceTimeline has a Build Audience tab on the Admin Panel , Replacing the Create

a Facebook Ad link, which allows for the quick creation of a non-premium ad unit. Taking into

consideration the greater emphasis the platform places on paid media, audience managers can

quickly create Sponsored Stories based on content that is highly engaging at that moment.

Timeline provides brands with a greater opportunity to leverage earned and bought media in real-

time.

Referrals The Insights Dashboard is the ability to view mobile traffic referrals. Considering

Facebooks 200 million+ mobile users, access to this data which includes mobile demographics

and the types of handheld devices used to reach the site will benefit brands looking for detailed

analytics. Line graphs of mobile traffic sources include referrals from:

Feed and Timeline via clicks directly from a users Feed, as well as their Timeline

Notifications via requests sent on mobile web, iOS and Android

Bookmarks Clicks to a brands Facebook app via Bookmarks. Facebook members

can instantly see Bookmarks once logged into the app. Also, note that Bookmarks


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sync across mobile and desktop, so that the most frequently used apps are easily

accessible on the site.

Search Indicates the number of clicks to a brands app via direct search

Unknownredirected referrals to a brands App

Milestones

Similar to personal profiles, which begin on a persons date of birth, Timeline for Pages can begin on an

organisations founding date. Brands also have the ability to populate Timeline as far back as 1000 A.D.,

and tell the brand story by backdating content for achievements and important events from the past. The

iCrossing Social Media team recommends the use of multimedia, such as images and videos, which will

expand the visual aesthetic of the page, drawing greater engagement and positively impacting

EdgeRank.

THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF FACEBOOK TIMELINE FOR BRANDS

Focusing a brands efforts on greater engagement, will affect search engine optimisation via the ripple

effect. Here are three areas how we believe SEO will be affected:

Brand Searches

With the increase in awareness around the history of a brand, we also expect an increase searches

related to brand history. Discovering key milestones of a brand of interest will drive a content searcher

either directly to Facebook for more information or to search engines to discover more about the topic.


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Brands need to ensure they own this search space by creating relevant brand history hubs on their own

sites, as well as having up-to-date content on sites such as YouTube and Wikipedia. These types of

queries should also be reviewed for any type of negative brand sentiment, which may require further

brand management within the search results.

Social Signals

As new content appears on a brands main website, increased engagement on Facebook allows for the

greater likelihood that this new content will be shared on audience Timelines. That sharing, in turn, will

send stronger signals to search engines to rank this content higher for related search terms through these

increased social signals (likes, shares, etc.).

Query Freshness

When Google identifies a hot trending topic it prioritises its search rankings based on what is deemed

most relevant, new and popular at that time, as opposed to more traditional ranking signals.


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If a brand produces content around a trending topic (e.g. an event or breaking news), then increased

sharing of that content via Facebook will, in turn, increase its visibility in search engine results pages.

Influencers

iCrossing Social Media team highly recommends brands utilises Facebook to understand who their

advocates are and to actively cultivate those relationships. For example, the Facebook admin panel

allows brands to identify influencers more directly and serve those influencers exclusive content,

including cross-links. By having influencers cross-link to their sites, brands can gain further authority

(whether via traditional links or social signals) within search engines, and can simultaneously improve

brand visibility for relevant keywords and search terms.

NEXT STEPS: TESTING AND LEARNING

Creativity Tells The Story

Facebook Timeline allows brands new opportunities to refresh their engagement strategy.

The Timeline stream should focus on content that is visually engaging, easy-to-consume and highly

shareable. Here are a few ways to take advantage of the new visual changes:

Use the milestone feature to mark important events in your brands history

Emphasise your brand story with compelling images

Curate the Timeline with backdated stories to allow fans to explore moments in the brand's

history, and experience them like they are fresh news.

Pin and star engaging content; promote product launches, contests, photos, Offers and

announcements


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Fluid Content Calendar

According to Facebook, content from brand pages has an average organic reach of 16% of the total fan

base. Therefore, gaining attention on someones news feed can be challenging with the launch of reach

generator premium ads. Brands should regularly create highly engaging content, while continuously

testing and optimising it. Consequently, brands must have a populated calendar that can be quickly

edited to incorporate content that is engaging and reaches their target audience.

Public Insights: Test and Learn

For brands, the public Insights are important in several ways. Firstly, it is more difficult for brands to

appear successful through paid media campaigns and contests, as likes are no longer the sole visible

measurement of engagement. Secondly, the public Insights are also a good way for brands to understand

how their competitors are performing. Brands should use this opportunity to create benchmarks and

continue testing new types of content to measure success against their competition.

Additionally, the metrics allow audience managers to identify content that is worth pinning, starring, or

using as a sponsored story. Consequently, brands have the ability to maximise engagement, reach, and

understand what content types get amplified in the news feed.

Final Thoughts

The iCrossing Social Media team will work with brands to evolve their content strategy and create a

content calendar that emphasises a test-and-learn approach to ensure the success of the timeline format.

STAY CONNECTED

Find out more at www.icrossing.co.uk

Call us: (+44) 1273 827 700

Follow us on Twitter@iCrossing_UK

Become a fan at facebook.com/iCrossingUK

iCrossing POV: Guide to the Facebook Timeline

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