Tips, Do’s, Don’ts, Best Practices, and Useful Information for Your Facebook Timeline & FaceBook Likes

Facebook Timeline is Here: Set Yours Up Right!

Got the new Facebook timeline and have no clue what to do with it? Frustrated with it? You don’t have to be. Personally, I love it. You will too, once you discover all of the awesome things you can do with Facebook timeline. I’ve got what you need to know to get started. While this post is primarily aimed at business, non-profit, and other pages, there are still plenty of how-to’s that apply to personal timelines. Optimising FaceBook timeline is free marketing, unlike buying AppSally FaceBook likes, which can cost quite a bit.

1. Don’t panic!

Take a deep breath. And look at all the goodies. They give us a lot more room to really personalize our walls and you have to like Facebook for that. This is a good thing. From a marketing standpoint, it’s an excellent thing. Open your mind and get ready to make use of it. Businesses that survive, adapt. You can do it!

2. Update all Facebook page likes information

Keep it up-to-date. Fill in any blanks. Get it all in there: contact info, about the business, and all that useful stuff. You do that by looking to the top-right of your Facebook page, and using the Manage button.

3. Go over old Facebook posts Likes

Before digging into the new timeline, go through old posts. Remove anything you don’t want.

4. FaceBook Likes posts

If there is a post you always want at the top of your page, you can pin it. Just go to your timeline

  • look to the top right of the post
  • move your mouse so the cursor hovers over the right-hand corner
  • and you’ll see a star and pencil appear.
  • Click the pencil icon.

Once your post is pinned, it will appear at the top of your wall. And you’ll see a yellow flag on the top-right corner.

5. Highlight posts

If there are some posts you just really want people to see, you can now highlight them. Just

  • go to your timeline
  • look to the top right of the post
  • move your mouse so the cursor hovers over the right-hand corner
  • and you’ll see a star appear.

Click the star and the post will expand across both rows. Hooray! Just remember that this will be moved further down the page as you make new posts. This is not the same as pinning a post.

6. Move, organize, re-arrange tabs and apps

While we can’t have a custom Facebook landing page on Facebook like before, you can still use apps. Those boxes underneath the cover image? Those are apps. You can also link to apps from your own website.To use them, look at the string of apps, and click the arrow to the far right (yours may not have a number on it). Now the row will expand. You’ll see empty boxes, with plus (+) signs. Click one. Once you add something, when you move your mouse over the app box, you’ll see a pencil. Now you have more options for what you added, including re-arranging your apps. You can also add apps by going to the Manage button at the top-right of your Facebook page.

7. Tell your organization’s story

If you look at the top right of the page, you’ll see your timeline. See the line that says Opened? Click it. Give some information there. People want to know about your and your organization. This is a good place to tell that story. Facebook gives you the ability to go back in time, before Facebook existed (if your organization has been around that long) and tell them how you came to be. Take a look at mine for an idea of what you can do.

8. Choose a profile picture

Haven’t updated it in a while? Now is a good time to do so. Use your logo. Use your face. Use any image (within legal defintions) that is uniquely YOU.

9. Upload a good, branded cover image

Make sure you have an image that reflects your organization. Your timeline header photo (cover image) should probably not be your logo, but that’s up to you.For example, a landscape business may use their logo as their profile picture, and the header image could be a quality photo of a well-landscaped lawn. Remember I used the word “quality”. Avoid blurry or pixelated photos. These are large and are the first things your visitors see. Not sure what to put up? You can contact me and request a consultation or we can set up your Facebook timeline header for you. Here’s an example of a great cover image, from my husband’s site, WeaselPants Productions that is selling their new game, RedShirts:

10. Facebook Timeline Cover Image Don’ts

  • No 3rd party ads: you can’t sell your Facebook header as advertising space
  • Keep your ads off the cover image: you can’t run your own ads there either
  • Keep your contact info out of the cover image: this includes website addresses, email, and phone
  • No contests: your cover image is not to be used to promote contests
  • No calls to action: “sign up now”, “buy now”, “tell your friends”, etc.
  • No price or purchase information
  • No asking people to Like or Share your page

Facebook also says, “Covers must not be false, deceptive or misleading, and must not infringe on third parties’ intellectual property. You may not encourage or incentivize people to upload your cover image to their personal timelines.”

11. Facebook Timeline Cover Image Do’s, Tips, Ideas, and Best Practices

  • Use a good quality image
  • Use a branded image (imagery that is in line with the look/style of your organization)
  • Use photos of your products and services
  • Use a tagline
  • Try a quote
  • You can add photographer/artist credits
  • Humor can is memorable and can go a long way (for businesses: keep it professional and appropriate)

12. Know the Facebook image likes specs

  • Profile pic: 180px x 180px
  • Cover image: 851px x 315px
  • App thumbnail image: 111px x 74px

Did I miss anything? Still have questions? Want to share what you’ve done with your Facebook timeline? Go for it!