Facebook’s Page Update & What it Means for You

By Jenna Lebel

Facebook just introduced several improvements to Facebook Pages that will ultimately allow brands to establish and maintain better relationships with their fans while making Pages more relevant to the audiences they serve. Here are the changes and what they mean for YOU and YOUR fans.

New Layout

We knew this update was coming because of the accidental push of the redesign back in December and subsequent removal. The new layout looks and feels similar to the layout of the new Facebook Profiles and features many of the same enhancements. The new Pages layout removed the tabs at the top of the Page and now features the same side-bar navigation as the Facebook Profiles. The update also added the top-screen photo stream and additional info display. The right-side of the Page also received a makeover. Facebook unveiled a section that will highlight the Page’s admins if the admin so chooses. Similarly, the right-side displays a section showcasing how many of the user’s friends have also “liked” the Page they are viewing and features interests they have in common.

What does this means for you and your fans?

The layout is a more efficient and cleaner approach to your Page. It allows for greater expression of your brand by way of the photo stream and customizable information sharing at the top. For fans, it’s similar to their own Profiles making navigation very seamless. It also quickly gives them access to the most useful information (top and side-bar navigation). The mutual interests and shared friends really gives users a strong connection with your Page and makes it much more relevant to them.

Efficient Communication

Page administrators are now able to completely communicate as the Page (or their brand) nearly everywhere on Facebook—posts, comments and likes on other Pages can appear as the brand and not the individual admin through a feature called “Login as Page.” By logging in as the Page you manage, you can interact with the Facebook community as the Page. You cannot, however, interact directly with users by posting on their wall or commenting on a status UNLESS the user has given “everybody” that permission in their privacy settings. When a user is logged in as a Page, they see a completely different News Feed—it’ll show them relevant content from the Pages they’ve “liked.” Another equally important update related to efficient communication is in the notifications to Page admins. When a user is logged in as a Page, they can choose to get notifications (via traditional on-site notifications or via email) for new “likes” and other activity (interactions) occurring on their Page.

What does this mean for you and your fans?

This has HUGE implications for brands. Now your brand has a presence on Facebook beyond your stand-alone Page. You can respond to negative comments and posts on other Pages AS YOUR BRAND. You can also endorse or support partner Pages as your brand. The News Feed view for Page admins will allow you to stay updated on the latest and most important news from other Pages you care about. And the notifications will give you insight into new fan/like acquisition as well as an easy way to manage incoming activity on your Page. This gives your fans easy access to interact with you in other ways. It also should give them a faster response time from your brand.

Everyone Filter

Imagine being able to easily access the hottest topics and discussions on a Page? Now you can! As part of the changes, Facebook added an “Everyone” filter which when selected brings the most engaging posts and threads to the top of the Page.

What does this mean for you and your fans?

With the click of a button, you are able to see the most “liked” and commented conversations on your Page and engage and monitor those conversations seamlessly. For fans who choose this filter, they can really get a feel for the conversations that take place on your Page. A post from your friend with 50 comments from fans is much more inviting and relevant than whatever may appear at the top of the Page with the previous recency-ordered filters.

Advanced Admin Controls

This update may be coming at a later date, but there will be significant improvements to the admin control settings. Admins will be able to HIDE posts (spam and posts containing words on your customized Blocklist). While fans will only have the options to filter posts “by page” or by “everyone,” admins can see “hidden” and “most recent.”

What does this mean for you and your fans?

This gives the admin much more control over the monitoring process allowing admins to easily toggle between posts and to manage spam and potentially harmful posts by fans. For fans, this should also mean a faster response time and better communication from the brand.

The changes launch today in preview mode and unroll across the platform on March 10, 2011. During the preview mode, admins can see the preview of the new Page layout and decide if they want to make the switch. Important to note, once you opt-in to upgrade your Pages to the new design, there is no way to revert back to the old layout.

What do you think of Facebook’s most recent update to their Pages product? Can you think of other benefits or even implications for brands? Share your thoughts in the comments below!