In recent months, you may have noticed a new layout on your Facebook and Twitter profiles. This can initially feel like someone has walked into your house and given it an unwanted 60 minute makeover but as regular social media users will know – this can happen at any time (and is usually for the better). We often forget that these major platforms are evolving all the time and it appears that they are both in favour of simplifying the user experience. After all, as a greater number of profile registrations happen to be the over 45s, perhaps this simplification is to keep the so called ‘technophobes’ switched on and adopted active users.
Twitter introduced a new look to their profiles, which looks similar to Facebook and other networks like Google+ with the large cover photo and profile photo positioned on the left. Desktop users may have seen this new look on only a few profiles and it has now been offered to everyone. You will see an offer to test out the new look and then simply click to agree to the change. An important thing to consider is that 80% of Twitter users only access via mobile so there won’t be a major change seen on here. However, on a desktop/laptop, you may find that your header/cover image has distorted and this can be a bad first impression, especially for potential new customers discovering the page.
It can take a little time to correct the image or upload a new one that looks good on a desktop computer and on a smartphone. The trick is to also use an image that won’t interfere with the text that will appear over it, when viewing on a smartphone. New profiles also have the ability to ‘pin’ a tweet to the top (similar to a business Facebook page). You may have an important message or special offer that you want people to immediately see so you can pin it to be seen first all the time. Alternatively, try pinning a different key message every day/week/month to measure the impact of engagement.
Along the same lines, Facebook has recently started to change the layout of business pages for a select few, which will eventually roll out to all pages. You will see that the new look, effectively removes the admin panel but not to worry, as everything is still accessible from the page tabs. It is a little worrying to see this change initially but it’s clear that it gives you the important features and insights in a simple format so you can keep an eye on progress. The key aspects of your page stay in one place, as you scroll down, which saves time having to go back and forth. However, a downside is that it doesn’t appear to be that straightforward to find the ‘activity log’, which is useful to view, especially if you want to review all the posts you’ve scheduled. The easiest way is to click on ‘Settings’ and ‘activity log’ is at the bottom on the left.
If you are new to setting up a social media page or wondering how to get the most out of these new look profiles, contact me to book a consultation at a time that suits you: jon@socialant.co.uk
Twitter: @thesocialant