7 Important business profile changes for Facebook users
You may have noticed a few changes going on with your Facebook profile lately? Not to mention the tsunami of complaints, rumours and wind-ups that proliferate whenever Facebook decides to change something. But nothing ever gets better by staying the same, right? So familiarise yourself with these changes to your business page to carry on getting the best from your social network.
Vanity URLs available to all
Back in the day, your business page had to generate 25 likes before you were permitted to register a vanity URL (e.g. www.facebook.com/yourbusinessname.) But now, the restriction has been removed, and you’re instantly free to get a readable URL that actually looks good on your marketing literature.
Likes no longer required to post on your wall
This is a very important development for your business page. It used to be the case that prospects had to like your page before they had permission to post on your wall. This led invariably to a positive bias, which probably made you feel happy, and maybe a bit smug. But the real world of business isn’t like that, and this change represents progress for business owners. Now that everyone can post on your wall, you can offer better customer service, and of course, create better demand and more targeted offers.
Discussions and reviews phased out
When was the last time you checked the discussions tab on your page? Did you even know it was there? It’s good to see that Facebook are adapting according to how people like to use their site. The discussions tab wasn’t really different enough to the wall, and definitely lacks the immediacy and visibility of the wall post. The same goes for the reviews tab – also headed for the recycle bin.
Facebook apps restricted to SSL
“What’s SSL?” I hear you say. In a nutshell, Secure Socket Layers are what make secure (https://) pages work. So by restricting apps on your business page to SSL, it means that only visitors who connect to Facebook via https will see your app content. Everyone else will still be able to see your page, but apps will be hidden.
Shares and interactions are now shown
This is a great development for business owners. It used to be that you could just see how many likes your page had generated. All well and good, but it doesn’t really help you see which posts are popular with your audience. Well, now you can. Under each post, at the top of the comments area, you’ll be able to see if anyone’s shared your post. This could be a great conversation-starter, or even sales lead, so be sure to check.
Another useful addition is the “are talking about this” statistic. Under your likes counter, you’ll see that Facebook now tells you who’s interacted with your page over the last week. This is very useful in measuring who’s visiting your page, and if your page is becoming more popular.
Facebook insight offers extra detail
Facebook’s on-board analytics gives business owners the chance to really measure their page’s performance. If you’re not already doing this, then make a start today. The new insights interface makes use of the new features mentioned above such as shares and interactions, allowing you to fine-tune your page content to get the best from your social marketing.
Bigger pictures
This may sound trivial at first, and you may be wondering why it’s made it onto this list. But pictures are very important when it comes to creating the right ambience for your business. The new profiles allow larger pictures, which means your choice of images is now more important than it was. Larger images of consistent quality will only have a beneficial effect on your ability to draw customers and win their trust, so consider your options carefully.
All in all, it’s good to see that the guys and gals at Facebook are thinking about their business users, and offering us the tools to connect with our customers on their platform. Until the next Facebook update, that’s all folks!
About seoblogger:
Our SEO blogger is an expert in Web Marketing, Usability and Interface Design. He has been a vital part of The Blue Cube Communications since 2003. As the West Midlands fastest growing web marketing agency, we always strive to maximise return on investment for our customers.
