Facebook platform changes

Facebook Platform Changes Overview

Executive Summary

F

acebook
recently
announced
wide-‐ranging
changes
to
the
way
brands
and
marketers
use
the

platform
to
reach,
connect
and
engage
with
fans.
The
changes
have
important
implications

for
your
existing
Facebook
presence
and
planned
initiatives.
This
document
reviews
the

changes
and
what
they
mean
for
you.

Our
Take

Three
critical
changes–timeline,
custom
tabs,
and
premium
ads–fundamentally
change
the
way
we

think
when
it
comes
to
marketing
on
Facebook.

With
these
changes
Facebook
has
placed
a

premium
on
creating
content
that
engages
and
connects
with
users.
Video
and
imagery

dominate
the
new
timeline
layout,
and
brands
that
can
create
a
powerful
experience
through
this

content
will
see
the
biggest
gains
from
these
changes.
Brands
that
cannot,
or
choose
not
to,
create

compelling
content
will
be
unable
to
use
the
marketing
tactics
that
worked
in
the
past
to
drive
fan

growth
–
specifically
“welcome
pages”
with
Like
blocks
that
require
fans
to
like
a
page
before

accessing
it.

These
new
features
are
available
now
and
all
pages
will
be
migrated
to
timeline
automatically
by

March
31st.
If
you
have
any
questions
about
the
changes
or
how
you
can
best
leverage
them,
please

don’t
hesitate
to
contact
Morgan
at
morgan@oakcreektrail.com

Critical Updates in Brief

Timeline
–
The
standard
Facebook
page
design
is
being
deprecated
and
replaced
with
timeline,
a

new
format
for
brand
pages.
Timeline,
currently
visible
on
user
profiles
and
select
brand
pages,
is

available
now
and
will
be
implemented
on
all
pages
by
March
31st.
This
new
format
creates
new

content
and
creative
needs,
and
provides
new
tools
for
messaging
and
marketing.

Custom
Applications
–
Custom
applications,
a
staple
of
Facebook
marketing,
can
no
longer
be

selected
as
the
primary
landing
page
for
new
fans.
This
means
“Welcome”
tabs
that
ask
users
to

“Like”
a
page
for
access
will
become
obsolete.
This
will
change
the
strategy
of
fan
acquisition

completely.
In
addition,
custom
tabs
are
increasing
in
width,
to
810
pixels,
providing
greater
real

estate
for
developing
custom
applications.

Premium
Ads
–
New
Facebook
ads
use
content
posted
to
your
wall
as
the
basis
for
ad
units.
This

means
that
content
you
create
to
communicate
with
your
fans
can
be
amplified
to
increase

visibility
and
reach
via
ad
spend.
Advertisers
will
be
able
to
pay
to
ensure
particular
posts
appear

in
all
fans’
News
feeds;
a
welcome
new
way
to
propagate
messages
and
ensure
visibility
of

updates.

The
rest
of
this
document
expands
on
these
changes
and
includes
points
to
consider
when

evaluating
their
impact
on
your
program.

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.
www.oakcreektrail.com


Introducing Timeline

Facebook’s
timeline
layout
has
been
available
for
user
profiles
since
last
year
and
is
now
available

for
pages.
All
pages
will
be
transitioned
to
the
new
design
by
March
31st.

The
timeline
view
is

significantly
different
from
the
current
page
design.
It’s
not
hard
to
notice
the
radical
difference

when
compared
to
the
current
page
layout.

Current
Page

15721
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92128.


Timeline
Page

Here’s
a
quick
tour
of
important
new
timeline
page
elements:

Cover
photo

The
cover
photo
is
a
visually
stunning
element
of
the
timeline
layout.
Use
it
to
showcase
your

company,
product
or
brand.
The
cover
photo
should
be
updated
regularly
to
maintain
a
fresh,

visual
appeal
for
visitors
to
the
page.

RedBull’s cover art
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CA
92128.


Facebook
prohibits
the
use
of
marketing
messages
in
the
cover
photo.
Text
that
says
things
such

as
“Like
this
page
now!”
or
“Save
40%
at
our
bi-‐annual
sale.”
are
against
Facebook
Terms
of
Use.

Here
are
a
few
examples
of
pages
using
timeline
for
ideas
on
the
types
of
images
that
work
best
for

the
cover
photo.

https://www.facebook.com/cocacola

https://www.facebook.com/nike

https://www.facebook.com/walmart

https://www.facebook.com/McGuireRealEstate

Profile
image

The
profile
image
has
changed
as
well.
Previously,
the
profile
image
size
was
malleable
and
could

be
used
to
promote
marketing
initiatives.
Now
the
profile
image
is
a
fixed
size.
Facebook

recommends
that
the
profile
image
be
your
logo,
and
that
the
image
remain
the
same
so
that

people
can
identify
updates
from
your
brand
easily
in
the
Facebook
News
Feed.

Tiffany’s Profile Image

Tab
bar

With
the
new
page
layout
tabs
have
been
moved
to
below
the
cover
photo
in
the
upper
right-‐hand

corner
of
the
timeline.
Only
four
applications
can
be
featured
at
any
one
time.
The
first
is
always

Photos.
The
other
applications
can
be
displayed
in
the
order
specified
by
the
page
administrator.

Application
icons
are
also
new
and
can
be
set
for
each
tab.

If
your
page
has
more
than
three
custom
applications
they
will
appear
under
an
additional
drop

down
to
the
right
of
the
featured
applications.

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


The Application Bar

Timeline

The
timeline
itself
is
how
content
is
displayed
on
your
page.
The
timeline
shows
content
in
reverse

chronological
order,
with
most
recent
activity
immediately
below
the
page
header/composer
area.

Previous
posts
made
to
Facebook
will
automatically
be
added
to
the
timeline.
Posts
appear
on
the

left
and
the
right-‐hand
side
of
timeline,
as
decided
by
Facebook.

Items
pre-‐dating
your
first
activity
on
Facebook
can
be
added
to
your
timeline
to
provide
a
richer

experience
and
understanding
about
your
company
for
visitors.
Coca-‐Cola
and
Barack
Obama’s

page
both
make
clever
use
of
this
new
capability.

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


Composer

The
Composer
is
where
you
post
content
to
your
timeline.
It
retains
the
standard
posting
options,

and
adds
one
new
option:
Milestone.
Milestones
are
important
events
in
your
company
history;

such
as
the
day
the
company
was
founded,
dates
key
products
were
introduced
or
dates
of
key

decisions
that
materially
impacted
the
company.

Starred
posts

While
most
posts
appear
on
one
side
of
the
timeline,
page
administrators
can
star
a
post
to
give
it

greater
visual
prominence.
A
starred
post
expands
across
the
entire
width
of
the
timeline,
creating

a
powerful
call
out
among
the
regular
status
updates.
Posts
can
be
starred
and
un-‐starred
at
any

time.

Here
is
an
example
of
a
starred
post:

To
star
a
post,
simply
click
the
pen
icon
next
to
the
original
post
to
access
the
drop
down
menu
of

post
options.
Select
“Star
Post”
and
the
post
will
automatically
be
resized
across
the
page.

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


Pinned
posts

Page
administrators
can
now
pin
posts.
Pinned
posts
appear
at
the
top
of
the
timeline
for
seven

days.
Only
one
post
can
be
pinned
at
a
time.
This
post
will
remain
at
the
top
of
the
page
even
while

newer
content
is
being
added
to
the
page.
After
seven
days
the
post
will
appear
on
the
timeline
in

chronological
order
based
on
the
date
it
was
originally
published.

Here
is
an
example
of
a
pinned
post.
They
can
be
identified
by
the
orange
banner
on
the
post.

To
pin
a
post,
simply
click
on
the
pen
icon
next
to
the
original
post.
From
the
drop
down
menu

choose
“Pin
post.”

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


Friend
activity

Your
connections
to
the
page
through
your
friends
will
be
more
prominent
with
the
new
timeline

view
of
friend’s
activity.
If
you
have
a
friend
who
likes
that
page
and
has
made
a
comment
on
the

page,
that
activity
will
appear
at
the
top
right
of
the
page.

That
is
timeline.
It’s
a
radical
departure
from
the
previous
page
design.

Things to Think About:

• What artwork will you use for your cover art?
• What company facts and milestones will you populate your timeline with?
• What types of content will you star or pin?
• What additional custom application pages are needed to fill in gaps caused by
timeline?

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


Custom Applications

Custom
applications
are
undergoing
significant
changes
as
well.
The
two
major
changes
are
the

size
of
the
tabs
and
their
visibility.
These
two
changes
will
impact
existing
tabs
and
popular
fan

acquisition
strategy.

Existing
Applications

New
application
pages
have
increased
in
size
to
810
pixels.
This
is
nearly
40%
wider
than
existing

page
designs.
This
increased
real
estate
will
allow
your
applications
to
use
a
larger
space
to

engage
with
your
fans.
Existing
applications
will
be
centered
in
this
new
layout,
which
may

present
a
sub-‐optimal
user
experience.

Tiffany’s old Welcome page is broken and narrow on the new page layout.

Things to Think About

• Do you have existing applications that need to be rewritten or resized to fit the new
page size?

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


Welcome Tabs & Like Blocks

Page
administrators
will
no
longer
be
able
to
specify
the
default
landing
page
that
non-‐fans
first

view
when
arriving
at
a
page.
This
is
a
significant
change
that
effectively
eliminates
the
very

popular
“Welcome
page
/
like
block”
strategy
as
a
way
to
gain
fans.

For
those
not
familiar
with
this
strategy,
it
worked
like
this:
non-‐fans
were
directed
to
a
branded

landing
tab
on
the
brand’s
Facebook
page.
The
welcome
page
tantalized
users
with
content,

specials
or
other
incentives.
In
exchange
for
accessing
the
incentives
users
had
to
‘like’
the
page.

These
pages
drove
fan
growth
number
by
funneling
new
people
through
the
‘Like’
process
prior
to

accessing
the
brand’s
wall
and
content
updates.
This
strategy
was
nearly
universal
among
brands

and
is
now
obsolete.

Typical
Welcome/Like
block
page:

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


This
is
a
significant
change
that
eliminates
the
’Like
block’
strategy
for
gaining
fans
through
a

gated
welcome
page.

Welcome
pages
will
lose
relevance,
as
all
users
will
automatically
land
on

the
timeline
view.

Things to think about:

• Do you have existing welcome tabs that may be impacted by this change?
• Can they be updated to be more informational and featured in the new timeline layout?
• Should they be sunsetted?
• Do you have custom application pages to tell the most important parts of your business
story?

Premium Ads

Ahead
of
Facebook’s
IPO
the
company
has
focused
on
maximizing
revenue
through
advertising.

One
out
of
every
four
ad
impressions
served
on
the
Web
is
served
on
Facebook1;
but
Facebook
ad

performance
has
been
typically
poor.
In
response,
Facebook
is
launching
a
series
of
new
ad
units

that
are
designed
to
be
more
social,
more
engaging
and
appear
in
more
places
–
like
your
news

feed
and
Facebook
mobile.

How
the
Ads
Work

Facebook
Premium
ads
take
existing
posted
content
and
turn
them
into
an
ad
unit
that
reaches

more
fans
and
a
larger
audience
on
the
site.
The
new
ad
units
let
brands
take
content
created
for

their
page
and
amplify
it
through
ad
units
that
push
that
status
update
or
content
to
a
broader

audience.

To
create
a
new
ad,
brands
simply
create
a
page
post
and
then
turn
it
into
an
ad
via
the
Facebook

ad
manager.
Supported
content
types
include:

• Photo
posts

• Video

• Question/Polls

• Status
updates

• Event
invitations

• Links

1
http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2012/2012_US_Digital_Future_in_Focus

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


New
Sponsored
Ad
Units

New Premium Ad Units

These
ads
differ
from
existing
ad
units
by:

• Larger
visual
foot
print

• More
social
for
friends
of
fans

• More
engagement
points
per
ad
–
users
can
like
and
comment
directly
from
ad
unit.

Why
This
Matters

This
is
big
news
for
brands
that
are
looking
to
reach
more
of
their
target
audience,
and
their
fans

on
Facebook.
Right
now,
only
16%
of
fans
see
a
typical
daily
status
update.
By
turning
posted

content
into
an
ad,
brands
can
reach
3
–
5
times
as
many
fans2.

The
new
ads
are
reported
by
Facebook
to
deliver:

• 40%
increase
in
engagement
rate

• 80%
more
likely
to
be
remembered

• 16%
increase
in
fan
rate

At
Oak
Creek
Trail,
we’ve
been
experimenting
with
social
content
ad
units
and
have
seen
increase

in
click
through
rate
(CTR)
on
the
order
of
40
–
100%.

We
believe,
that
this
new,
larger
ad
unit

will
drive
significant
increases
in
performance
of
Facebook
advertising
campaigns.

2
Facebook
Premium
Ad
Overview
presentation

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.


Things to Think About

• Could larger, more social ad units make Facebook ads relevant for your business?
• Is your target audience on Facebook? Could you reach a niche audience on Facebook?
• Are you creating content that could be made into ads to reach a broader audience?

Conclusion

The
recent
changes
to
the
Facebook
platform
have
a
wide-‐ranging
and
material
impact
on
how

brands
connect
and
engage
with
users
on
the
social
network.
With
the
new
timeline
design
and

social
ad
units,
Facebook
has
made
content
the
clear
priority.
High
quality
video,
imagery
and
text

content
will
create
a
powerful
brand
representation
on
Facebook.
Brands
without
these
assets
will

have
a
timeline
that
fails
to
create
significant
fan
engagement
or
interest.

The
new
application
pages
and
bar
will
provide
greater
visibility
to
existing
applications
and
allow

brands
to
create
calls
to
action
for
users
to
explore
the
applications.
However,
popular
like-‐
building
tactics
such
as
gated
Welcome
pages
have
been
relegated
to
obsolescence.
Brands
will

need
to
create
application
pages
that
provide
valuable
content
and
experiences,
rather
than

simply
building
landing
pages
that
drive
likes.

These
changes
usher
in
a
new
era
of
paid
awareness
on
Facebook.
Brands
can
now
buy
access
to
a

wider
range
of
audience
members,
and
amplify
the
visibility
of
their
status
updates
with
new

social
ad
units.
Combined
with
advanced
targeting,
these
social
ad
units
will
make
Facebook
ads

more
effective
and
more
relevant
to
a
wider
range
of
advertisers.

The
one
thing
that
remains
constant
with
Facebook
is
that
they
will
continue
to
change
and

innovate.
It
is
incumbent
upon
brands
to
recognize
this
reality
and
be
prepared
to
adjust
strategy

and
execution
as
necessary
to
find
continued
success
on
the
platform.
If
you
would
like
more

information
about
any
of
these
changes,
or
want
to
explore
how
to
leverage
them
to
your

advantage,
please
contact
Morgan
at
morgan@oakcreektrail.com.

15721
Bernardo
Heights
Parkway,
Suite
B-‐505,
San
Diego,
CA
92128.

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