Love the new Facebook Timeline!

My clients have been apprehensive about the new Facebook Timeline.  I have to admit, I was a little on edge about it myself.  After a couple of months of using it, I can say I LOVE IT!

To make the transition easier for my clients, and you, I asked my colleague and friend, Heather Coleman-Voss  (a sister social networking lover) to collaborate on a list to make it easy and simple for them and for you!  Here you have it!

So what appears on your Timeline?  Basically the same information that you've recorded in your profile:  Status updates, photos, friendships made, as well as job history, marital status changes, and other information.  Now, you can choose how it appears, when it will appear and to whom it will appear for.

Here are the top 15 features we focused on first, to maneuver through the new Timeline.  Today, we love the look of the Timeline.  We think it's fresh and exciting.

1.  Your Timeline Page:  Your main page is your Timeline page. You control everything from here – posts - past and present, photos, videos, etc.

2.  Your Cover Photo:  Be sure that your cover photo, the photo that looks like a banner, completely expresses who you are.  Teri’s is a picture her husband took at Ford HQ in Dearborn, MI.  She is in the center of a sunflower patch with her arms extended, celebrating her BLISS! Heather’s cover photo is a cloud photo generated from her social media presence which describes her areas of expertise professionally as well as what is most important to her – being a wife, a mother and a big supporter of Metro Detroit. (mirror.me) You can also GOOGLE “Facebook Cover Photos” to find some great options on designing a cover photo with impact!

3.  Your Main Picture:  Make sure you are smiling in your profile picture (the small picture in the bottom left of your Timeline photo).  A smile is the most inviting feature you can offer anyone.

4.  Your Home Page (Newsfeed page):  The new Timeline replaces YOUR wall, NOT your Home Page, your newsfeed - basically, your home page stays the same.  The Home Page is where you will see all of your "friends" updates, make comments on their feed or even update your status.  Your status update will appear on your main page.  On the Home Page you will see all of your groups, links to messages, events and apps.

You can update your status, add video and ask questions on your Home page and your wall.

5.  Post Options:  Every Timeline Post gives you the option to post Status Updates, Photo, Place, or Life event, across the top of the box marked "What's on your mind..?"  Simply add content as desired.

6.  Privacy per post:  Every Timeline Post has options on who can view your post. Next to the "POST" icon, you can pick who can view the post, ie:  friends, family, colleagues, all.  It is important to understand that what you post publicly will be seen by anyone who wishes to subscribe to you and/or those looking you up (or recruiting talent) on Facebook. Choose strategically to post about community events, helpful information/blog posts, career-related information within your field of expertise and so forth. Posts that you prefer to keep to your friends, mark as “Friends.” The same applies to photos.

7. Viewing Your Profile: To see what your profile looks like to those who are not your friends (this includes your subscribers), click on the drop down area next to the “Activity” button on your profile. Choose “View As” to see how your public profile looks.

8. Subscribe and Subscribers:  You can subscribe to other people, similar to “following” people on Twitter. This is valuable if you are seeking specific information from someone who you do not know (ie a career coach, musician, social media expert). Their public information will show up in your News Feed.

People can also subscribe to your public updates. When people subscribe or add you as a friend, they are automatically able to receive your public updates even if you do not friend them. To check who is subscribing to your public updates, click on the “Subscribers” thumbnail. You will find this in the same section as your friends, “Likes” and so forth.

9.  Editing Icons:  Every Timeline entry has 2 icons, one for editing and deleting, (shaped like a pen) and one for adjusting the size of the post, (shaped like a star).

10.  Timeline Dates/History:  In the upper right corner of the new Timeline on your page, you will see a list of dates, going back to your first post on Facebook.  You can delete and edit posts from here.

11.  Your Profile Information:  By clicking on the "About” tab, under your main photo box, you can edit your profile and what information goes on your main page. Or you can click on the Update Info icon directly under your cover photo

12.  Information boxes:  By clicking on the arrow next to the boxes under your main photo box, you can rearrange the boxes that appear below it; i.e.:  friends, photos, subscribers, etc.

13.  Activity Log: This feature allows you to see a list of events that appear on your Timeline.  You have options here, too.  Delete or feature each post, from a list view, by clicking on the year at the top right of the Activity Log Page

14.  Adding a Badge:  Next to the Activity Log icon is an asterisks and an arrow.  By clicking on the arrow pointing down, you can add badges to Blogger, Wordpress, or other sites you have built.  You can also add photo badges, LIKE badges and more.

15. Adding Life Events:  Adding Life Events is a valuable feature if used strategically. Focus on the birth of your children, your marriage, etc. Now focus on the professional value of Life Events! Some examples are: Volunteer work, receiving a promotion, a new position, a big conference at which you are speaking and so forth.

Don't have time to keep up with Facebook or want to know more about how Social Media can increase your bottom line?  Give me a shout out - I LOVE helping small business owners expand through the use of Facebook, Twitter and Linked IN! For more information or a simple lesson in moving through it all, feel free to email me at teri@theblissnetwork.com.

Happy Facebooking!

TheBlissNetwork.com Chief Visionary Officer/Bliss Ambassador Teri Williams Multi Media and Publishing Services teri@theblissnetwork.com

Career Savvy Coaching, LLC A division of the Mythic Group, LLC Heather Coleman-Voss Career and Social Media Coach/Consultant heathercolemanvoss@gmail.com