Are you scared that Facebook redesigned school and district pages for mobile devices? Looking for ways you can take advantage of the change?
In this article, you’ll learn how to get the most out of Facebook’s mobile page redesign for your school district.
My Thoughts on the Facebook Changes
I have always been a fan of Facebook’s social media dominance. Like most districts, the platform is still are top performing social media network.
With TWO BILLION ACTIVE DAILY USERS, Facebook is still the king despite the countless design and algorithm changes.
I rolled my eyes when I heard that Facebook had once again changed the mobile viewing experience. You have to go with the flow in the ever-changing landscape of social media.
However, when I saw the latest Facebook mobile page changes, I knew this was something our district could take advantage of. Your page is becoming a second website for your district.
Facebook Mobile Page Sections
Below are tips how your district can take advantage of the FIVE main sections of the new Facebook mobile page design:
Section 1: Cover Photo, Profile Pic & Buttons
Top and center in the new design change is the profile section that includes the cover picture, profile picture, your name, action buttons and user overall reviews.
+ Facebook Cover Photo or Video
With the recent changes, Facebook has made the cover photo the focal point when your audience visits your page. Think of it like a modern-day, social media billboard. You need an image, or for the last couple of years a video, that grabs your visitor’s attention.
The photos you use for the cover image need to be sharp, clean and highly engaging. This is the one time I suggest not using your smartphone to capture this picture. You want the highest quality picture you can take to include in this section.
Facebook now allows you to put a highlight video in the cover picture section. This helps create a more engaging experience. Intrinsic Bar B Que in Dallas uses video well in this section to highlight their selection of meats and sides.
Click the image to view their page:
According to socialfiremedia.com, Facebook requires that cover videos dimensions are at least 820 x 312 pixels, while the recommended size is 820 x 462 pixels. Cover videos can be anywhere from 20-90 seconds long and can loop in any way you want. Video can really drive engagement.
+ Profile Pic
The page profile pic has lost its dominance over the last couple of years and has given way to the cover photo. While it is still important, it has gotten smaller and less noticeable on your page. That is why you need a profile pic that pops!
With the circle design it can be difficult to fit a great picture in that space. It is probably a good idea to have your district or school logo in this space. Make sure it fits. You might need to adjust the white space for this to work. We obviously need some work in CFBISD.
+ Action Buttons
An action button on our district Facebook page has grown our newsletter email list by 800 people. With these buttons, Facebook has made it easy to implement Calls to Actions. And now they are more prominent on the new page design.
The big blue buttons right under your name gives mobile users an easy way to interactive with your districts and schools. Options for these buttons include Sign Up, Book Now, Contact You (call, email, send message), Learn More (Watch a Video) and Shop.
+ Overall Review
Family and friends are the big push in Facebook’s new business mission. In the mobile page view you see an overall average review for you district or school, as well as what friends on Facebook have rated the entity represented by the page.
Section 2: The About Us
This is a very powerful section of the mobile redesign. Schools should be making sure all of their information is up to date on Facebook including their address, phone number and website.
+ About Section
Parents searching for a new school are constantly trying to find information about their neighborhood campuses. This includes on the web and social media. It is vital you keep this information accurate and check it regularly.
Consumers can be lazy. Make sure they can click to call and visit your website in this section.
Section 3: Upcoming Events
Facebook is putting heavy emphasis on events. They continue to encourage page admins to create events. When Facebook emphasizes something, you better listen. Events are more than likely events ranking higher in their secret algorithm.
+ Facebook Events
Facebook Events give page admins more options than a typical post. What stands out in the new redesign is the location of events. Events are high on the page and do not require endless scrolling to find them. And with the carousel style switching between events, users can navigate the section easily.
The biggest advantage of events is that when you update the event or add a discussion, users that have said they are going will receive a notification. This is a great way to remind your audience about your event. We are using events with great success in CFBISD.
Section 4: Photos & Videos
Ninety-nine percent of our posts on Facebook have an image or video. First off, there is much higher engagement when you use a picture or video. We are a visual society.
Now Facebook is making sure we all know that engagement is higher by highlighting our pictures and videos on our pages. Before users get to our posts, they are seeing highlighted content in the form of images and video in a special section.
It is very important that your pictures and video tell a story. Bright colors and eye-catching images will slow your audience down as they scroll through your page. If you want to drive engagement, you need images and video that will make them stop and click.
Section 5: Related Pages
Related pages are a new thing on the redesign. Facebook is trying to promote connectivity. It all goes back to their family and friends mission. They want you to stay on Facebook and engage in pages that meet your interests.
To make sure your pages for your schools and programs are recommended in this section, you need commonality in your about section and content. The first of the year is a great time to audit your pages and make sure they have common language and common keywords throughout.
Section 6: Your Posts
What use to be the bread and butter of your page has been delegated to the bottom. As I mentioned in my opening, Facebook is trying to make your pages your second website. A hub for people to find information about your schools and district.
Facebook posts are still very important, as they drive users from their timelines to your page. They have turned into Calls to Action in a sense. Click on my content here, to get more information about my school or district. It’s all about keeping people on Facebook.
Keep creating dynamic content, but make sure not to neglect your page as a whole. Parents and students might be visiting you Facebook page in the future, and not your website. However, be careful to not fall into that trap and neglect your website.
Conclusion
With TWO BILLION ACTIVE DAILY USERS, Facebook is still the king despite the countless design and algorithm changes. It is time to realize this and not neglect your Facebook pages.
The new Facebook mobile design is a good thing. It will help drive engagement and be a powerful tool in your communication and marketing arsenal.
Do you have any questions about the mobile Facebook redesign? Leave your questions in the comment section below.
