Facebook Timeline – Did You “Get” It?

The rumblings in the tech world had hinted that there were big changes to come, but then, they always do. Most of us in the Social Media world expected changes in our Facebook news feed or in how we access applications – and we got them. What we didn’t expect was a complete revamping of our beloved Facebook and, subsequently, in how we will use the platform.

In a recent newsletter I talked about embracing change. If ever there were a time to take that stance, it is now. If you don’t do well with change, you will need to prepare yourself and learn to embrace the changes as Facebook evolves.

I’m sure that by now, you’ve seen at least a little about the changes and what the new Facebook Timeline will look like. You may have even read some articles on how it will work. What you may not know however is that, while Facebook’s new timeline is intuitive – even adding what it considers to be important life events to your timeline such as the birth of your sister (Click Here to see a slideshow of the new features by Mashable contributor, Chris Taylor) – it also gives you something you’ve never had before, control over your profile. YOU get to choose what you feel are life events whether it’s a wedding, graduation, new puppy or new car.

According to Mark Zuckerberg during his keynote at F8 on September 22nd, 2011, Facebook was designed to be a conversation starter. It was a way to find and gain an introduction to someone that you might share a connection with. After the first major restructuring of the system, that was expanded to include a part of the actual conversation. Instead of just giving you a starting place, Facebook provided a platform for you to actually turn that introduction into a conversation right there on your wall.

Since that time, many changes have come along but none so drastic as what we are seeing now. Rather than just an introduction or conversation starter – Facebook has now become a digital scrapbook of your life and you get to choose who sees what within your scrapbook. And with over 800 Million active users, that control is more important than ever before.

The most intriguing thing about all of these changes is the thought of what’s in store for Facebook Pages. Up until now we have been very limited on how we could showcase our businesses on Facebook Pages. With only a small side banner and the ability to create a landing tab through a third party application, we weren’t able to easily promote ourselves. If the new Pages are anything like Timeline, and it is widely rumored that it will be, then the opportunity for brands to use this as a marketing tool will be off the charts!

We will basically be able to watch the evolution of a brand from it’s birth to today. Can you imagine what the last 119 years of Coca Cola or the 35 year lifespan of Apple Computers will look like on their Facebook Page if it is done in the same type of Timeline format? What about musicians and actors? It would be a literal one-stop place to see the entire career of a celebrity or life of a company played out at the click of a mouse.

So, the real question is, are you ready? Time is almost up and you will be forced to change to the new Timeline. If you need help getting started or want a better understanding of the changes, I have GREAT news! Last month I created a “Facebook Timeline Webinar” filled with 60 mins of intensive instruction and explanation for ONLY $27! It’s still available as a recording so go get it and “Get” the new Facebook Timeline!