Facebook has rolled out a series of test versions for changes to Brand Pages, as announced by COO Cheryl Sandberg on September 8.
The changes appear to target small businesses (SMBs), judging by Sandberg’s presentation, in which she cited 45 million active SMB Pages currently found on Facebook worldwide.
She stressed, among other things, the importance of SMBs and their use of Facebook Pages to provide women with new opportunities for entrepreneurial growth.
What’s New on Facebook Brand Pages?
The answer depends on which test version you see as a user, with multiple trials of new layouts popping up for different users. So far, the most prominent change is the increased size and visibility of the blue Call to Action (CTA) button, although its position is not in the same place for all tests. Other changes include shrinking the profile picture, page title, and category, and lining up all other buttons and tabs under the cover image.
The big push seems to be toward encouraging SMBs to become more mobile-friendly, as these changes to Brand Pages enhance mobile layout and navigation. Sandberg urged, “Be where your customers are already spending their time.” In fact, who could argue with this stat: Facebook is one of just four mobile apps in which all users spend 75 percent of mobile time.
Small Changes for Big Rewards
These Facebook changes are painless from the user perspective, making them an easy, cost-effective way to meet the need for mobile-friendly access. The result should be valuable for SMBs who have fewer resources than enterprise groups to achieve needed upgrades.
Other changes include the ability to create tabbed shopping and service sections, plus new features for the optional Messenger function. Messenger will have saved replies, private replies, and response signals that transform it into a quick-access sales and customer service tool for SMBs. Facebook cited further statistics showing that businesses responding to messages promptly achieved astounding conversion rates, as high as 99 percent for one company mentioned.
If you fall within the SMB category, and you are not yet doing everything you can to enhance mobile-friendliness, you should be starting to see the handwriting on the wall — or the timeline, if you prefer. Between this latest Facebook push toward mobility, and the test rollout for a new “Purchases on Google” buy button addressed in an earlier post on this blog, it is clear that those who shape the future of Internet communications are laser-focused on the mobile experience.
If you think it’s time to respond to these important changes in the marketplace, but you’re not sure how to make best use of your current Facebook Page, contact National Positions to explore a review of your brand presence on all platforms, with suggestions for improving your company’s mobile-friendliness.