I admit I’ve been putting off immersing myself completely in Facebook’s new layout. It’s not because I’m scared of change, it’s more to do with the fact that I was so comfortable with the previous layout and I knew it like the back of my hand.
But, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been using the new look for Facebook business pages and I absolutely LOVE it – some of the new features are amazing and it’s so quick and easy to navigate my way around it. It gets a thumbs up from me!
There are many fresh and exciting features which will really help you to showcase your business on Facebook to the max! But only if you have set up your Facebook account correctly will you really see positive growth. My online course called Creating and Managing Successful Facebook Business Pages will guide you through all the stages, show you how to navigate your way around the new Facebook interface and so much more.
So, why did Facebook change the design?
Facebook is committed to continually improve and provide the best user experience it can.
When you check Facebook’s new layout for the first time on your PC or laptop you’ll notice that it’s faster, it looks more like the mobile phone version and there’s lots of new features. It has also been created to integrate with Instagram smoothly.
As you read on, and learn about some of the new Facebook features and where to find them, I’m sure you will agree that they are a great improvement.
Instagram Top Tip: As the new look is geared to integrate with Instagram, make sure that you have your Facebook account and your Instagram account linked.
Navigating the new Facebook layout
The first thing you’ll be thinking is ‘how do I find my way around the new look Facebook layout?’ and rightly so, we all want to be able to find all the things we are used to quickly and easily. Let me show you …
The old (classic) look:
Features we are used to include:
- Blue bar along the top.
- Settings, events, notifications, insights, etc sit underneath the blue bar.
- Tabs for our business pages sit along with left hand side under our round profile picture
- We can see our friends who are active and online to the right of the screen.
In the new Facebook layout you no longer see the friends list to the right. Yay, no more distractions when you’re working!
The new 2020 Facebook layout:
- The settings are now down the left-hand side
- The icons at the top (to the right of the search bar) remain a constant so no matter where you are on Facebook you can easily navigate your way around in just one click.
- The ‘home’ icon takes you home to your newsfeed
- The ‘flag’ icon takes you to the Facebook pages you manage.
- The ‘watch’ icon is a new feature. Facebook are really trying to promote the use of videos, plus, the platform now recommends videos to you that it thinks you’ll enjoy watching. Click it and give it a go!
- The ‘marketplace’ icon is the place to head to when you want to buy and sell.
- The ‘group’ icon now appears at the top as Facebook really wants to promote the use of groups throughout its community. There are also some new features with regard to groups that are really beneficial to you as a business owner.
- At the top, just to the right of your personal Facebook page profile, you’ll now find the following:
- The ‘+’ icon is there for you to create a post.
- The ‘messenger’ icon so you can send a message quickly.
- The ‘bell’ icon is your notification button for your personal Facebook page – these are NOT your business page’s notifications.
Can you see what’s new just to the right of my username @SocialMediaExecutive? That’s right, there’s a short description of the business sector I work in. For me it says Internet Marketing Service – make sure that your description here is accurate as it’s now in the spotlight!
If you’re not sure how to do that you might want to check out my online course Creating and Managing Successful Facebook Business Pages.
How do I get to my business page in the new Facebook layout?
To head to your business page simply click on the flag!
New features in Facebook’s new layout 2020: Light and dark mode.
The downward arrow at the top right is your ‘account’ button. Here you can now change the look yourself! You can choose between the classic black text and white background or white text and a black background. What do you think?
Where are all the settings in the new Facebook layout?
You’ll find settings down the left hand side as shown here (in the classic they were along the top just below the blue bar).
I’m writing this blog in September 2020 and at this time there is an option to switch back to the classis Facebook layout. You can see the button to do this above the Home icon – it says ‘switch now’ in a grey box. However, you can only switch back for 48 hours and it is likely that Facebook will remove this option before too long.
Going from the top to the bottom:
o Your Home page shows your newsfeed.
o The Ad Centre is now here and has so many more features! Please don’t confuse this with the Facebook Ads Platform. The Ad Centre is the place to head to, to boost a post. If you’re undecided about boosting, read my blog ‘Think twice before you boost your Facebook posts’
o Your business page inbox displays your messages. Plus, all of your Instagram messages! I love that my messages are now in one place.o Your events are here which now provides a lot more data and a full list of your events. Your customers can now buy tickets to your events directly from the Facebook page without having to leave the platform to go onto the Eventbrite website.
o Your resources and tools are here to give you lots of useful help and advice to make the most of your Facebook business account.
o * New* appointments tab. From here you can link straight into your diary without the need to add a plug in. Great for those who aren’t tech savvy!
o Your notifications are here.
o Your insights are here. Please check your insights regularly to keep you on the right track to move your business forward.
o Your publishing tools are here. Great for those who prefer to schedule their posts.
o Your page quality is here to check it’s not breaching any terms and conditions.
o Your edit page info is here for you to change your name, username, description, etc.
o Your settings button sits right at the bottom. You might not see a huge difference when you click on this, but there are few changes; page attribution has disappeared for instance as Facebook considered this not to add much value.
In settings, there is an option for you to rearrange the order of these buttons described above so it’s more user friendly to you.
Where are the tabs on the new Facebook layout?
The tabs (home, events, services, about, more) now appear just under your round profile picture.
When you click on the downward arrow next to More you will see an ‘edit tab’ option allowing you to add, remove and reorder the tabs to suit you.
Do you remember in the classic layout that the order of your tabs influenced the order of the content which appeared on your page? For example, if you had events as your first tab, when a customer headed to your business page, they would see your events first. Sadly, the order of your tabs no longer has any effect on your page. The new layout shows your About section first, then your photos and then your videos.
Again if all this is new to you check out my online course Creating and Managing Successful Facebook Business Pages
Where is the About/Summary Box on the new Facebook layout?
The About piece now sits to the left after a short scroll down.
How do I know what my customers see when they visit my Facebook business page?
To the left of the highlighted blue Promote button you’ll find the View as Visitor button. Click here and you’ll see exactly what your customers see when they are looking at your page. Such a handy tool and now so quick and easy to find and use!
Where’s the Story feature in the new Facebook layout?
I’m afraid to say that this has gone. Don’t confuse this with Facebook stories – that is still there – I’m talking about the piece dedicated to us; I had a great action shot of me presenting to a group as my main picture and content to tell my brand story and to showcase who I am.
I’d recommend you dash back to the classic version and copy the content you had there, so you don’t lose it.
More call to action buttons in the new look Facebook
While I’m a little miffed that the Story feature has gone, Facebook has more than made up for that by giving us a lot more call to action buttons.
Click on the Edit/Send Message button for a drop down list showing many options. The edit button shows a much bigger selection to choose from as you can see below – and this isn’t the full list, there’s more when you scroll down. Take a look and see what’s best for your business.
Wow, look, you can now sell gift vouchers though your Facebook page – how cool is that? Further down the list is an option to play games, perfect if you are a games developer!
Tips if you have a Shop linked to your Facebook Business Page
- Make sure this is linked to your Instagram page.
- Click on the More tab and check that your shop is live! Reactivate it if it has disappeared in the layout change.
If you sell online you can link to your online store and automatically upload products to your shop in Facebook – this isn’t a new feature but if you need help just get in touch!
Make the most out of your Facebook Business Page
I really want you to have a fantastic Facebook business page, one that really stands out against your competition. It is possible for your page to be a hub of activity; a place people head to for support and to ask to do business with you.
My online Facebook course tells you everything you need to know to get you started and how to get customers – and everything in between. All in non-techy, bite sized videos for you to watch at a time and pace to suit you.
Watch a quick introductory video to see how my course can help you.
Bye for now,
Becs
Becs Bate, Social Media Executive
