Facebook: Where Tabs Go to Die… Almost
Facebook does one thing very consistently. It keeps marketers on their toes by changing the way they should approach the platform and get as much value as possible for their businesses. This can be frustrating, but Facebook has a massive audience marketers want access to. Plus, a Facebook presence is almost an expectation for many consumers.
Facebook isn't done changing, either. This week it announced a new design for Facebook Pages, making them cleaner and more consistent with user profiles. The new layout still features two columns, but Timeline posts are displayed in the right-hand column, while the business information that was once located at the top of Pages just beneath the cover photo is now located in the left-hand column.
Facebook tabs, which are used to create microsite-like experiences and bring added functionality to Facebook Pages like contests, did not get any love with the change. Facebook tabs are now accessible through a 'More' drop-down menu below the cover photo. Another way to access the tabs is now in the left-hand column but below the 'Page Info' section, giving them slightly less prominence on Facebook Pages than before. Marketers will have to primarily rely on linking to their Facebook tabs through Timeline posts to direct users to those experiences and bring their attention to them. This has always been important but becomes even more so now.
Facebook's About the News Feed, and It Always Has Been.
The News Feed is the holy grail of Facebook. Tabs offer added functionality, but they have been abused by marketers by using them to make Facebook experiences into website experiences. Tabs still serve a valuable purpose in many instances, but Facebook's move shows what has always been true--it's all about the News Feed. Facebook users aren't likely to visit your Page too often after they 'like' it, but they are going to interact with you through the News Feed. That's where you get attention, earn engagement and get the most out of the platform.
This change should be viewed my marketers as an opportunity to create a Facebook-first experience on their Pages. This means creating content that they know Facebook emphasizes and gives prominence to in its News Feed algorithm, which is highly visual in nature, and then boost that content's reach and engagement with paid promotional support. Facebook has changed, and brands either need to evolve with it or focus their efforts elsewhere.