Countdown to Facebook Timeline–Roundup of the Best Resources

Of course, you’d have to be living under the proverbial rock to not know that 3/30 is the big day for Facebook’s timeline transition on Pages.  Many of you are ready, but we’ve visited countless pages in the past few days that are, well, no where near ready.  Whether you’re caught unaware, scrambling to transition, or just looking to pick up a few extra bits because you’re relaxed, prepared and already moved over to Facebook Timeline, we’ve put together a few of the resources that the MarketingSavant team has been using the past few weeks with our clients.

Even if you’ve already transitioned, optimizing Timeline and getting the most from all of it’s features may take brands some time.  Pay special attention to the PDF guides that we reference below. There are several gems there with some great ideas that you might not have seen yet!

Enjoy.

Blog Posts & Articles

• 15 Must Know Tips to Rock Your New Facebook Timeline Business Page [Social Media Today] This is a great primer that also includes a nice Timeline Cover Image Template that you can download in Photoshop and Illustrator formats. Very cool.
• Facebook Timeline Tutorial Infographic [TechJournal] One of several obligatory infographics on Facebook Timeline.  You can find more Facebook Timeline Infographics here. (Each of the previous 4 words links to a different Infographic…they’re everywhere!)
• Facebook Timeline for Brands: 10 Things to Get Right [Social Media Today] Another post from SMT on the things you need to really pay attention to in order to really make Timeline sing for your company.
• Top Ten Changes for Brands on Facebook Timeline [Envano] Our friends at Envano (local to Green Bay) put together a nice concise post with screen shots that walks you though the finer points of Timeline.
• Facebook Commerce Success Stories and The Impact of Timeline [V3] This post talks about how Facebook Timeline will impact F-Commerce (Facebook Commerce)
• Introducing Timeline from Facebook.  The original page about Timeline when it was introduced for Personal Profiles.
• An Ant’s Eye Point-of-View: Tips for Brands on Facebook Timeline [Ant's Eye View] AEV did an executive briefing webinar on Timeline and came up with a few solid recommendations. Check em out.
• Facebook Timeline – 5 Strategies for Business Success [Ressac] This is a quick post but it has a few ideas that go beyond the technical and tactical of how to “cope” with Timeline and gives some ideas on how to really leverage it to tell your brand story.  I like the idea of “getting your brand history” in order like the way the New York Times has done when the put a post on their timeline stating they were founded in 1851. Very cool!

E-Books, PDFs, Downloads [PDF or registration links below]

• The New Facebook® Pages Brand Timeline: Everything You Need to Know [Hearsay Social] A well designed, well thought out and very informative guide. This is something that we’ve used in FB classes since it came out.  A great resource and a ‘must download’ item.
• Facebook Pages Mission Control Overview/Product Guide [Facebook] Right from the horse’s mouth. This is Facebook’s 8-page guide on everything they think you should know about timeline. Also a must-print resource to have on hand when working with Timeline.
• The CMO’s Guide to the New Facebook [iCrossing] These guys put together a nice executive level resource on Timeline and how it can be best used by large brands.  Complete with a few great examples of how large brands are using the new Timeline features to the fullest.
• Facebook Timeline for Brands: A Marketer’s Guide [Virtrue] Virtrue put together a great 13 page deck on the technical aspects as well as some of the more innovative ideas that marketers can employ to leverage Timeline.
• Facebook Timeline Tip Sheet [Eric Mower + Associates] We always like the EMA work and like the tidy tip sheet they put together on Timeline.  Good stuff and simple.
• Step-by-Step Guide to New Facebook Business Page Timelines [HubSpot] Of course, HubSpot has a great guide on Timeline.  It’s the granddaddy guide of them all with 31 pages (some of it’s HubSpot propaganda) of insights, ideas and tips you won’t see anywhere else.

Templates & Guidelines

• Facebook Cheat Sheet: Sizes and Dimensions [DreamGrow Digital/Social Media] I love these guys! They did this nice ‘wireframe’ blueprint for the last time Facebook changed up dimensions and they’ve updated their handy PDF of Facebook Timeline image dimensions for this most recent change.  Send this to your designers who work on your Facebook imagery.

Bonus

• Here’s a quick Facebook Timeline Pinterest Board that we put together on my Pinterest page that links to some of the better infographics, guides and resources that we’ve found for Timeline.