The outdated but still effective Facebook Fan Page was due for an upgrade – today was it’s lucky day. Facebook began offering Fan Page upgrades to Administrators this afternoon via e-mail and banners.
Upon choosing “preview” you are taken through a simple guided tour of the new features, some of which were things that probably should have been integrated a while ago (left side navigation). Other “upgrades” that we knew were coming but were still exciting to see in action, included featured photos and a couple handy new admin options like the ability to receive notifications (similar to your personal profile), check post analytics, and interact with other users/pages using the Fan Page’s identity…yes…<---More on that after the jump!
So what about these changes will affect you the most as a business owner, blogger, or online marketer?
1) Using Facebook as your Fan Page.
This is some powerful shit! You can now switch identities with the click of a button, allowing you to comment or post on other pages/profiles under your Fan Page alias. Switching into “Fan Page Mode” also provides you with a new set of notifications on the top bar that tell you when there is a new fan or activity on a post, keeping you more in touch with your fans.
2) XML landing pages still supported.
Thank god! =)
3) Featured Pages & new wall options.
The new Fan Page allows you to like or feature OTHER Fan Pages. This could be used to give viewing priority to sponsors, advertisers, products, services, etc…
The new wall post options also allow the Administrator to see the “Top Posts”, a very handy feature for determining what converts and what does not!
4) Photo showcase.
This presents an immense opportunity to not only show off how fun your business is but to also monetize your Fan Page by creating custom photo ad montages and/or showing off your hottest new products! Another great use would be for a modeling agency or photographer to present their best work in the photo showcase. Plus who doesn’t like photos?
Question time! Now that you’ve gotten the low-down on the new Fan Page Upgrade, how will you use it to better your business/brand? I gave you a few ideas above but I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Update: It also appears that you now use iFrames in Fan Pages! This is a massively important new dynamic that is discussed further in this Mashable article: http://mashable.com/2011/02/24/facebook-pages-iframes/
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