A new Facebook is soon to be introduced that is going to change the social network site more dramatically then ever before. The new appearance and applications will affect the way digital PR works on Facebook.
What does this mean for online PR campaigns?
Online PR campaigns will have to adjust the way they communicate with the public. The following points outline the main alterations that are going to be made and how to use these to your advantage:
The Timeline: This will replace the profile page; it documents a person/brand’s activity on Facebook from the day they joined. It also allows you to add in information previous to this date. This enables brands/personalities to tell their life story and thus a way of strengthening and moulding the brand personality.
The Cover: The cover is an image that will be placed at the top of the profile page. Giving brands the opportunity to visually engage their customers more effectively. So, finding a captivating image will be key as it is the first thing the customer will see when entering the page.
Gestures: This will allow brands/personalities to create actions – for example if a recipe is uploaded, customers will have the choice to ‘cook it’. These can be personalised so they are relevant to content.
Subscribe: The new subscription button allows people to subscribe to a page, similar to the ‘follow’ button on Twitter. New Facebook therefore makes it easier to remove apps, updates or ‘unsubscribe’ from posts. More emphasis on engaging customers is subsequently vital to the success of a digital campaign.
Additionally, online PR campaigns will become more centred on ensuring their posts are ‘top stories’ and present in their fan’s news feeds.
Partnerships: Facebook has established partnerships with Groupon, Netflix, Spotify, Yahoo! And more. This gives great opportunities to digital campaigns, as they can be more interactive using a vast range of resources.