Facebook Fan Page update: 5 improvements and 2 tips

On February 10, Facebook launched its major Fan Page redesign. I updated my Page as soon as I became aware of the change and spent part of the day looking around and checking out the new features…

Major improvements

• “Log in” as a Page:

This is probably one of the best improvements. Why? Because it makes promoting your Fan Page a total breeze. Here is an easy way to do it.

Click “See all” in the “Recommended Pages” section. A list of Fan Pages listed according to categories will appear.

Usually, these pages have tons of fans. Mouse over the ones you want to add and click “like.” They will be automatically added to your favorites at the bottom left of your Page.

Now, you can choose which Fan Pages you want to feature. Click “Edit Page” on the top right corner and then “Featured” in your admin panel. Click “Edit Featured Likes” and check up to five pages.

Now, check out your Facebook stream. It will be full of the latest updates from the pages you like. Start leaving comments there. When people will click on your name or picture, they will land directly on your Fan Page. And if they like what you have to say, chances are that they will also become your fans.

• Tabs:

Tabs are now on the left-hand side, right under your Fan Page’s banner. While a lot of people may not like it, I find it convenient, especially since longer tab names are now allowed. And the “more” link makes it easier to guess that the menu section is longer than six tabs.

• Category:

Now, you can change the category for your Fan Page. This is very helpful, especially if you created your page a long time ago and would like to update it.

Click “Edit Page” on the top right corner, then “Basic Information.” Choose the category and click “Save Changes.”

• “Likes” count:

No more confusion between “friends who like this page” and “others.” You can see the total number of “likes.” Clicking on it will reveal names.

• Notifications:

Page owners can now receive notifications in their Inbox. And, notifications will also show up in red on the top left of the page every time it receives a new fan or people react to the Page’s content or comments left elsewhere.

Not so good

So far, there is only one thing I really dislike: the Photostrip on top of the pages. Most pictures are cut in half and you cannot see people’s faces.

And it would also be nice if Facebook staff let us know when they plan on rolling out major updates like this one. While we are free “tenants,” more communication is key to keep users motivated…

Have you tried updated your new Fan Page? What do you think?