If you're a Facebook user, you've no doubt seen its new layout, Timeline, on various personal and business pages during the past few months. And in case you haven't heard, Facebook is reformatting all business brand pages to its new Timeline layout March 31st.
As with any Facebook change, there are those who love the new look and features and those who are holding on to the old look as long as possible. But whether you embrace or dread the change, if you're using a business page for your band, it will look very different this weekend!
Like other Facebook changes, Timeline takes some getting used to - but for musicians it may actually make using Facebook more effective. Here are a few of the changes I like:
- The required cover image has more visual impact. I just like looking at them. I get a sense of branding right away.
- The new layout equalizes the playing field, a bit, in terms of first impression. All business pages will have the same basic layout; the big musicians and bands won't have their fancy call to action pages while independent musicians (who may have less time or fewer resources to build the fancy pages) are stuck with a plain layout. Anyone with a bit of creativity and photo editing savvy can have a very striking welcome page.
- The new Milestone feature allows companies to highlight the most important events in your band's history.
- The ability to "Pin" a post to the top of your wall for seven days means you can highlight a custom page, gig or special offer.
There are many more features that can be used to make the most of the new layout. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources to help make the transition easier. Below are links to the articles and resources I've found most helpful as I've begun transitioning my pages, and a several resources specifically focused on musicians.
From PC World:
How to Prepare Your Facebook Business Page for Timeline
From Huffinton Post:
How to Market Your Fan Page With the New Facebook Changes
From Facebook's Help Center (yes, it's actually helpful!):
Timeline: A New Kind of Profile
From CD Baby's DIY Musician:
Using the New Facebook Timeline Features to Market Your Music
How to Set Up Facebook Timeline for Bands
12 Ways to Grow Your Facebook Fanbase Using Timeline
Once you've got the cover and profile images you want, there are still a lot more ways to spruce up your Facebook page. Maybe this is just the impetus you need to tend to your Facebook page? I know for me it was...and I'll be adding more milestones, details and apps in the coming weeks! (These are a work in progress - I spent a lot of timing figuring out photoshop! The pages are: MusiciansMom and the brand new Skynote-Consulting).
If the above resources don't answer your questions, or if you need help making the switch, let me know! You can reach me by email at diana@musciansmom.com.
Happy Timelining!
