Social networking giant Facebook has extended its Timeline feature to ‘Pages' hosted by the Web site.

The new feature is available for preview and is currently optional. However, all Pages will be switched to this mode on March 30.

‘Timeline', first introduced only for individuals, is a collage of all the activities shared on Facebook in a chronological order presented on the main page of a user profile.

Akin to the Timeline on people profiles on Facebook, new features for Pages will include displaying a ‘Cover Photo' that captures the essence the brand and showcases their product/service.

With Timeline activated, Page owners will no longer have the benefit of the customisable landing tab. The landing tab allowed them to control which feature visitors would first see when they visit the Page. Users will first glance at Photos, Videos, Events and other customised apps instead.

Facebook has automatically done away with the customisable ‘landing tab' that a lot of businesses could design for their pages.

However, it has opened new avenues for customer/consumers/fans to get in touch with the company directly through messages. Where posts and updates were invariably displayed in chronological order, page admins can now choose a post and mark it as the top story on the Page for a maximum of seven days. They can also highlight important stories and customise them to stretch across the breadth of the Page consequently grabbing more eyeballs.

Stories that might not be relevant after a couple of hours can be hidden or marked down. New statistics and insights are presented at the very top of the page for the owners to keep track of as well.

Companies that have already undergone the makeover for their pages include ice-cream company Ben & Jerry's, football club Manchester United, alternative rock band Coldplay and high-street fashion house Louis Vuitton.

Mahananda@thehindu.co.in

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