Recently, you may have noticed Facebook’s new desktop look. The company officially launched its new desktop interface on May 8, 2020, with a faster and easier user experience and a Dark Mode option. Even if you haven’t seen the new Facebook interface, your business needs to understand how it will dramatically change the look and feel of your social media pages. Right now, users can toggle back and forth from Classic view to New view, but this will be a permanent change for all users soon.
With this design change for Facebook.com comes changes to Facebook Business Pages. While there hasn’t been a significant change to the information available on Business Pages, they have been redesigned. At LaFleur, we’re encouraging businesses to take this opportunity to optimize their profiles and share the most accurate and informative content with their customers, prospects, and fans.
In this blog, we will go through some of those elements of your Facebook Business Page that should be updated to fit the new Facebook interface.
Optimize for Larger Facebook Cover Photo
The largest area of your Facebook Business Page is the cover photo. It’s a great opportunity to communicate with your followers about your business, your services, offers, or upcoming events. If you currently have a photo occupying that space, then you may not have noticed a change in the size because images are automatically scaled up to fit the space. If you currently have a video in that space, you are more likely to see the difference with some added border around your video.
To optimize for the increase in space, we suggest a video or photo size of 845×312 pixels. This will let the video fill the entire space without an additional border and will ensure that your image is not distorted by being automatically scaled up to fit the space.
It is a good idea to update your cover image throughout the year, featuring different aspects of your business, seasonal events and offerings, or highlighting your services. Every time you update your cover image, it is also posted in your timeline, which is another way to communicate with your customers.
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The About Section Becomes a Focal Point
Previously, the About section of your Facebook Business page was a separate tab and offered a tiny amount of information. Now, with the new design, it is shown on a sidebar that runs down your main page. If you don’t include relevant, up-to-date content, you’ll miss out on an opportunity to build brand awareness and connect with clients or customers.
This new section includes your About description, your page’s number of likes, number of followers, website URL, Messenger link, hours of operation, and industry. There are a few aspects here that should be updated to better utilize its newfound prominence.
Business Description
With the old Facebook.com, this section was not even featured on the main page. It was buried in the More Info section on the About tab. For many businesses, this description was an afterthought when they created their Business Page, and it has never been updated. Now that it is front and center on your profile, you should make sure it accurately personifies your business and the services that you provide to your customer. Think of it as a one- or two-sentence elevator pitch.
Hours of Operation
It’s always important to keep this information updated, but it’s even more essential now that it’s the first thing people see on your profile. Make sure you accurately report the hours when your business is available, updating it for holiday closings.
Industry
This information was also down the page in the old Facebook.com design, so it may not have been a point of interest. Now that is in the main About section, make sure it truly represents your company. Your industry info is now linked to an industry-specific search results page, so you’ll want to ensure its accuracy. That way, users who are searching for your specific industry will find your Facebook Business Page in their results.
Page Buttons Increased in Size
The Page Button underneath the cover image on your Facebook Business Page has always been an important part of your profile, but it becomes even more prominent with the redesign. This is a great way to get your customers to take action right from your profile, and Facebook gives you many options of what those actions could be.
There are 14 different actions you can use when setting up the Page Button that include Book Now, Call Now, Contact Us, Sign Up, and Shop Now. Make sure to choose the action that both brings you the most value and also make sense for the user browsing your page on Facebook. If you are a service company that provides a high-cost product, you may not want to use “Shop Now.” Instead, consider using “Contact Us” to drive them to a contact page on your website or “Sign Up” to encourage email newsletter subscriptions.
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Contact LaFleur for Help With All of Your Social Media Needs
All the Facebook Business Profile updates we outlined above can be quick fixes that will help your business reach your customers more effectively and share accurate information that could help move prospects to loyal customers. If the constant changes in social media feel overwhelming, we are here to help.
Here at LaFleur, our experienced social media specialists stay up on all the social media trends and updates that can help your business achieve your goals. Please contact us today by completing this brief online form or calling us directly at (888) 222-1512.
References
Facebook (2020, May 8). The New Facebook.com Retrieved from https://about.fb.com/news/2020/05/the-new-facebook-com/
The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.