Facebook Page redesign: 10 things admins should do RIGHT NOW.

Facebook
Page redesign: 10 things admins should do RIGHT NOW.




Facebook announced a massive overhaul of its
Pages for business today, and here's the most surprising part: It's
awesome.
Don't listen to the angry mobs complaining about change. Today's
shift is overwhelmingly positive and creates much-needed options for
Page admins.
That said, you've got some work to do if you want to make the most if
it. We've compiled 10 simple steps that will get you started on the
right foot:
1. Turn on the new Page format.


Yes, it's opt-in.
And permanent. But come on. Live a little. Plus, the rest of this post
won't do you much good if you don't click that "Upgrade" button on your
Page.
Tip: If you admin lots of pages, but only want to
upgrade one or two for now, the upgrade system is wonky. After clicking
"Upgrade," scroll through the subsequent list of your pages to find the
one you wanted, then click "Upgrade" again. You can also "Upgrade All"
if you're feeling gutsy.
Don't want to switch? Sorry, Facebook says you'll be dragged into the
new format on March 1.
2. Set your Page's category and subcategory.





Here's the first cause for celebration. It used to be that
once you selected a category for your Facebook page, it was locked in
for life. Now you can not only set any category, but you can also select
a more specific subcategory, which will change what kind of info is
included in your Page's description.
Tip: First thing, click "Edit Page," then "Basic
Inforrmation" to select your category and subcategory. Your page has
probably been defaulted to the first subcategory in an alphabetic list,
like "Appliances."
3. Check your e-mail notification settings for fan comments.


Facebook seems to be defaulting all upgraded pages to a setting that
e-mails you when a fan comments. If you have multiple pages with
multiple admins (I have dozens), this is probably a bad idea.
Thankfully, the setting seems to default to "off" if the Page is
large (I'd guess the threshold is around 10,000+ Likes). But be sure to
check your settings for all your Pages. To do so, go to "Edit Page,"
then "Your Settings." You'll see options for E-mail Notifications
(uncheck it if you don't want comment notifications via e-mail), and a
link to edit
all your e-mail settings.
Tip: Be sure to follow that link, then click to
"Change email settings for individual Pages." Strange that this option
is so well hidden, but it's important.
4. Set your wall preference: Fans too or just you?



As you probably know, Facebook Page administrators have long had the
option to keep fan comments off the "front page" of the wall. I
generally prefer this setting, because it keeps "official" Page updates
from getting lost in a fray of spam and typos.
Upgrading your page appears to force it back to the "Everyone"
setting for the wall, which means you might want to re-select the option
for "Posts by Page Only" in the "Manage Permissions" tab. I should note
that Facebook has improved the "Everyone" setting by allowing it to
sort popular posts to the top, but I'm still going to wait before
handing over control of larger pages to the masses.
5. Want to occasionally post as yourself on Pages you admin?


Well now you can. in "Your Settings" in the "Edit Page" screen, you
can select whether to "Always comment and post on your page as (PAGE
NAME) even when using Facebook as (YOUR NAME)."
You can then select to log in as the Page itself, letting you jump
between being a human with a name or just a brand. This is a nice new
feature for small business owners and others who want audiences to know
them by name.
6. Set your moderation and profanity blocklists.




This much-needed feature launched
just before the new Page format did, so this is as good a time as
any to set your preferences. Both settings can be found under "Manage
Permissions."
The obscenity filter is automated, but you can select from three
options: None, Medium or Strong. Facebook uses its collection of
"reported" words to build these filters.
Moderation blocklists allow you to set specific words you don't want
mentioned on your Page. Maybe a competitor, maybe a scandalous nickname
for your product...the list is totally up to you.
7. Check out your Page's tabs.


They've moved! Instead of being up top, they're suddenly on the left
side rail. And chances are, they don't look good. That's because Static
FBML, the most common tab application, doesn't have a customizeable icon
image. It's just that weird <-> symbol.
Sorry, I don't know a fix for that. BUT....
Tip: The switch to left-side navigation means you're
no longer limited to brief titles for your apps. Instead of one or two
words, you can now give your Page's apps pretty thorough titles.
To change your tab titles, click "Edit Page," then "Apps," then "Go
to App" and you'll be able to change the name.
8. Select which photos should be featured up top.




Just like the User Profile design that debuted
recently, the new Page look includes a gallery of your images across the
top of the page. Now's a good time to select the ones that look best by
"hiding" the ones that don't. You can salvage the hidden photos later
if you need to.
And yes, now's the time to do
something crazy like this, although the order seems to be randomized
each time you view the Page.
UPDATE: Just
confirmed from one of our Facebook reps: "At the moment the photostrip of images at the top of the
Page are completely randomized and there's no way for Page admins to
edit this setting."
9. Pick your "Featured Likes."



You've long
been able to add "Favorite Pages" to your Page, but it hasn't really
meant much. Now the system is moving to "Featured Likes," which showcase
other Pages that your Page has "Liked." The gallery of Featured Likes
has to first be activated in the "Featured" tab of your Page settings.
This ability to Like as a Page fixes one longtime problem for
Facebook Page admins: You had to personally Like a Page before you could
tag it in a status update. Now, your Page can do the Liking, so that
you won't personally have clutter up your personal news feed.
10. Want some credit? Add "Featured Page Owners."


Facebook's Page changes include an
interesting addition that many will find appealing (and many others
won't): a public list of admins. The good news is that admins get to
pick which of their team members (if any) are listed.
Personally, I have a pretty firm wall between my personal Facebook
account and pages I administer, even my blogs. But for those who want to
gain more Facebook connections for themselves through Pages they run,
this will be a welcome change.
Have you been playing around with the new Page design and
functionality? We'd love it if you would share what you've learned in
the comments.
David Griner is a social media strategist for Luckie and Company and contributing editor
for Adweek’s blog, AdFreak.com.