Getting Started with Timeline for Facebook Pages

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui
Ben and Jerry's Facebook TimelineThis has been a big week for the many brands that use Facebook Pages to reach their fan base.  Facebook’s first fMC event was the launching pad for Timeline for Facebook Pages.  Timeline for Pages is bringing a lot of new features and updates which brand marketers need to review and be ready to launch by March 30, 2012. Many brands

How to Activate Timeline for Pages

Facebook has provided a guided tour to help brands during this transition.  To access the tour, visit a Facebook Page you have administrative privileges for and click on the Start Tour button.

Facebook Page Timeline Tour

The first stop of the Timeline tour is the cover photo.  This is the same thing as the cover for a personal Facebook profile.  However, there are some additional considerations to make when choosing an effective cover photo.  Facebook has provided a list of guidelines to follow in regards to choosing content appropriate for this valuable showcase area, available in the Facebook Help Center titled “How should I choose a cover photo for my Page?”

timeline logo

After the cover photo is up, it’s time to revisit your profile picture.  Timeline allows for a larger image, so uploading an image 180×180 is optimal.  Facebook suggests this as the place for a brand logo or other easily identifiable image to represent your Page to your Facebook Fans.

Facebook Timeline post highlight

Directly below the cover is the new location for Facebook applications.  Only the first four apps will display to Page visitors without any additional clicks needed.  The rest are hidden and require the Facebook Fan to click to reveal any apps that are listed in addition to the first four.  Facebook requires Photos to be the first app and suggests placing the most important apps in spots 2-4 for maximum visibility.

Facebook Timeline Story Highlight Star Pencil

Before publishing Timeline, it is important to review existing posts and decide if anything needs to be highlighted, edited or deleted.  A new feature (discussed in our previous article coving the launch of Timeline for Pages) is the ability to pin a story to the top of a Page for up to seven days.  This gives the story prime visibility for all Page visitors throughout that week.

New Facebook Pages Admin PanelAnother welcomed new feature is the addition of an Admin Panel.  Now Facebook Pages admins can view insights, view Page activity (i.e. new Likes and Page posts) and respond to messages received via the new private message for Pages feature.

Private Messages to Facebook Pages

Along with welcoming Timeline, Like-Gates will become a thing of the past.  Brands around the world will be working to spruce up their Facebook Pages during the next few weeks in order to adjust their content to fit the new Page Timeline and fill out their milestones.

Visit LearnFacebookPages.com to get an in-depth interactive video walk-through of Timeline for Pages.

Facebook Timeline for Brand Pages Has Arrived!

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui
The much rumored and anticipated Facebook Timeline for Brands is here and it is getting lots of attention.  Gone are the days of the Facebook Wall and in its place is a much more visually appealing Timeline. Brands who actively engage their Facebook Fans significantly notice better results from Page Posts that include photos and videos, so no doubt this new look should help to further improve user engagement.
Facebook Timeline for Brand Pages Brands who have a Facebook Page can now take advantage of the cover photo that Facebook profile pages have recently gained.  This is a valuable piece of real estate for a brand to grab attention and set expectations for Page visitors. Other key features, announced today at fMC, that have arrived along with the new Facebook Brand Page design include:
  • Offers – desktop and mobile deals available to Facebook Fans in one click.
  • Pinned posts – clicking the pencil icon will pin a story to the top of the page.
  • Featured posts – clicking the star icon will expand the size of a story to draw more attention to it on the Timeline.
  • Private communications – direct, private messages can now be sent to a Facebook Brand Page.
  • Admin Panel – the new home for Insights, creating Facebook Ads, plus a communication center to respond to private communications as well as Facebook Fan posts on the Brand Page Timeline.
  • Reach generator – feature one Page post on an ongoing basis in order to reach more of a Page’s Facebook Fans.
Facebook has created a tour for Page Admins to embark on to learn about the new features and functionality.  To access the tour, visit a Page you have created on Facebook or have been granted administrative privileges on.  For more details on how to activate Timeline for a Facebook Page, additional information is available in the Facebook Help Center under “Introducing New Facebook Pages.”  

Bonefish Grill Unveils Free Food Tasting Event on March 1st

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui
The Bonefish clock has struck “HAPPY” and an event has been unlocked that you won’t want to miss!  Head over to Bonefish Grill’s Facebook Page and click on the “Happier Hours Event” custom tab to request an invite to the event scheduled for March 1st between 4:30pm and 6pm local time.  The Happier Hours event is an exclusive chance to try out new menu items including Bang Chicken and Bang Bang Tacos. Bonefish Grill Unveils Free Food Tasting Event After you fill out a quick contact form, select the location you’d like to join the event at to reserve a spot.  Invitations are redeemable for you plus one guest and will be sent to your email address.  A limited number are available, so make sure you request your invitation now in order to get in on the Happier Hours event.

Outback Steakhouse Celebrates Happy BirthLeapYearDay

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui
Outback Steakhouse has kicked off a new sweepstakes centered on celebrating the birthday of their friend, Jenn.  Use the custom Facebook application to wish her a Happy BirthLeapYearDay and be entered to win one of four Leap Year Day Cards. Outback Birth Leap Year Day What’s an Outback Leap Year Day Card worth?  One free meal at Outback for the next four years!  The four winners will be notified by email on March 2, 2012 so make sure to fill out the contact form after wishing Jenn a Happy 7th Leap Year Birthday.   Update: March 1, 2012:  Jennifer Barfield and this Outback promotion on Facebook have received coverage on the DothanFirst.com news site.  View the video of the newscast to see the custom Facebook application in action.

Facebook Announces First fMC Event

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui
Facebook is hosting an event on February 29, 2012 in New York City that is sure to draw the attention of the media and blogosphere.  The event, titled fMC, is the first of its kind to be announced by Facebook and is scheduled to become and annual gathering.  The day’s sessions are specifically focused on marketing and include a keynote from Facebook notables Sheryl Sandberg, Chris Cox, Mike Hoefflinger and David Fischer. Facebook's First Annual Marketing Event - fMC It’s believed that Facebook will be announcing Timeline for Brand Pages soon and this could be when it happens.  fMC is invitation only, but virtual guests are invited to view the live web stream available from 12pm to 6pm EST.

Bonefish Grill to Host Happier Hours on March 1

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui
A new tab has appeared on Bonefish Grill’s Facebook Page titled “Unlock the Big Event” and is home to their newest custom Facebook application.  Along with this new social media marketing campaign, participants have a chance to win free food.  Each time someone clicks the “Share Now” button, the Bonefish clock gets closer to hitting “HAPPY”.  Once this happens, the fun will begin; so get sharing! Bonefish Grill Happier Hours

Hooters Celebrates 2 Million Facebook Fans with Free Wings for a Year

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui
Hungry?  Hooters wants to help one person fill up with free wings… for an entire year!   In celebration of earning 2 million Facebook Fans, Thuzi has created a custom Facebook Application for Hooters that is powering their sweepstakes to give away free wings for a year. Hooters 2 Million Facebook Fans Free Wings To enter the sweepstakes, click on the “2 Million Fans” tab on Hooters’ Facebook Page.  Fill out a quick contact form and make sure to check the box stating you are at least 18 years old in order to be eligible to win.  Then share away with your friends to help Hooters hit 2 million Facebook Fans!  Thuzi is proud to be a part of Hooters’ social media strategy and we look forward to their continued prosperity!

Bonefish Grill is Giving Away Over 500 Gift Certificates!

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Bonefish Grill has launched a new social media marketing campaign with a fun theme and generous rewards.  Everyday up to February 17th Bonefish is giving 500 Facebook Fans who enter the promotion a $25 gift certificate.  They are looking for their Facebook Fans to share their good, bad and ugly date stories.

Bonefish Grill - Good, Bad and Ugly Date Sweepstakes To enter the contest, just log in to the application via Facebook and tell Bonefish your date story.  Then fill out a contact form and let them know which location you prefer to dine at.

Send an Outback Valentine to your Favorite Person!

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui
Outback Steakhouse, one of Thuzi’s longstanding clients, has a knack for cooking up exciting advertising campaigns to engage their Facebook Fans and their current application doesn’t disappoint!  What better way to show someone special that you care than to send an Outback Valentine?  Where else can you send a Facebook Valentine’s card featuring a crocodile, wallaby or a didgeridoo? Outback Valentine's Day After you send out your card, make sure to take a look at Outback’s Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Meal for Two.  This includes two sirloin steaks, a Bloomin Onion, a side of your choice, a salad and (my favorite part!) cheesecake for dessert.  This special meal is only available from February 10-14, so don’t miss out!

Facebook IPO to have Huge Impact on Social Ecosystem

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Stacey Farooqui

Facebook SEC filing for IPOThis week has been a busy one, and not just for Punxsutawney Phil!  The entire online world has been watching and weighing in on the importance and potential impact of Facebook’s Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Over the past few days, the world has gained valuable insight into the social media giant, including the very reasoning behind why Facebook exists.  Along with the Facebook IPO, many interesting statistics were released, like the fact that Facebook has now reached over 845 million users(out of which 425 million are active monthly users) and made $1 billion in profit during 2011.

The Facebook IPO has been great news for other social companies that have gone public.  Facebook revealed that Zynga is a very important partner and accounts for 12% of their total revenue during 2011.  Due to this disclosure, Zynga stock has received a “Facebook Bounce,” but the ripple effect doesn’t look like it is going to stop there. 

The entire ecosystem that has formed around Facebook is now looking forward to joining the hundreds of Facebook employees who are set to become millionaires because of the IPO.

Got some extra time on your hands? Read the full SEC filing for Facebook’s IPO.