Whether you like it or not, the Timeline format is coming to Facebook Pages, and you have until March 30th to figure it out.
If you’re lost and you don’t know what Timeline is or how it works, don’t worry – I’m here to break it down and make it easy for you to understand.
Why does any of this matter?
Because Facebook is still huge for online business, blogging and driving a ton of traffic.
It is consistently my #1 referring website (click here to see the last 90 days), and even through I wasn’t too keen on the changes at first, a lot of the new features for Pages really excite me.
Here’s my new Facebook Page after switching to Timeline.
Below you’ll find a number of videos, resources, snippets of codes and links, to help you work your way around Timeline.
I will continually add more videos, tips and tricks – so please bookmark this post for future reference. 
Note: All of the videos have closed captioning enabled.
Please keep reading, and enjoy!
Getting Started
If you’re brand new to Timeline for Facebook Pages, the video below will walk you through the most important elements of Timeline that you need to understand before diving in.
(Or, you can click here to watch the Facebook Timeline for Pages Tutorial on YouTube)
As mentioned in the video, I have provided a Photoshop slice file (.psd) that will allow you to create a cover image, a profile pic and application thumbnails from one continuous image or photo, which is not required to use, but many will find useful.
Instructions are included in the PSD file (1.9mb) below:
Click Here to Download timeline-slicer.psd
UPDATE: Click here to use the Timeline Slicer Web Application version of the PSD file, which doesn’t require any type of software except a web browser. Kudos to Joey K. from incomePRESS for taking my PSD file to the next level and making it more widely usable.
A Landing Page – for Timeline?
With Timeline, Facebook got rid of the default landing page option. 
This is sad because I used a landing page since day 1 to better engage my audience and encourage new visitors to like my page and become a fan.
With that said, you can still create a landing page using the links to specific tabs. Watch the video below for a more detailed, step-by-step walkthrough:
(Or, you can click here to watch Facebook Landing Page on Timeline on YouTube)
As mentioned in the video, here are some helpful snippets of code you can copy and paste into your own html content areas. I will continually add more useful snippets over time. After copying and pasting, please don’t forget to replace my own links with your own. 
HTML to Show an Image (make sure image url ends in .jpg or png):
<img src="http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/images/content-image.jpg">
HTML to Show an Image and Make it Clickable (and open in same window):
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/smartpassiveincome"><img src="http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/images/content-image2.jpg"></a>
HTML to Show an Image and Make it Clickable (and open in new window):
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/smartpassiveincome" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/images/content-image2.jpg"></a>
If you dig this post so far, please let me know by clicking the tweet button below!
The New and More Organized Admin Panel
The new admin area for Pages is much more organized. When open, it looks like this:
The usual suspects are all organized here:
- Manage: so you can edit your page settings.
- Notifications: so you can quickly see the latest activity and respond accordingly.
- New Likes: so you can see new fans and possibly engage with them if you wish.
- Insights: so you can get a quick snapshot of page activity, or click “see all” to get more detailed information about your reach.
Another new feature of Timeline for Pages, however, is the ability for fans of your page to directly and privately message the administrator(s) of that page. Messages are shown and can be responded to from the admin panel as well.
Luckily, you have the option as the page administrator to turn the direct messaging capabilities off if you wish. Under Manage Page > Edit Settings > Manage Permissions, you’ll see this option in the middle of the page:
Messages can be a great way to further allow your audience to engage with you, however it’s another messaging platform that you might have to worry about. Some companies and brands, I suspect, might direct all or most interaction or customer support here, forcing people to become fans first and potentially allowing multiple admins to respond to fans with private questions much quicker.
I like.
The Extremely Important About Area
The about area immediately underneath your cover image and profile picture is one of the most important elements on your page.
It’s the only space near the top where you can actually include a clickable and direct link back to your site (you aren’t even allowed to write out a link in your cover image), but it’s even more important because most people will land on your wall first, so this becomes your visible elevator pitch.
Make it count.
The about area is clickable as well, which takes people to your company overview page. Thus, it’s really important that you spend some time maximizing the impact of your copy here. You can edit this directly from your overview page, or through the settings in the admin panel.
How to Integrate YouTube and Twitter
Here’s a handy video that’ll help you, in less than 5 minutes, integrate your YouTube Channel and/or Twitter Feed on your page so that your fans can view those items directly from there.
Other Planned Videos and Tutorials for This Page
In the near future, I plan to create more Facebook Timeline tutorial videos about:
- How to Convert Facebook Visitors in Email Subscribers
- How to Redirect Facebook Traffic Back to Your Website
How to Add a Twitter and YouTube Module to Your Facebook Page- Tips to Engage with Your Facebook Fans Using Timeline
Do you have any specific requests you’d like me to explore? Please leave them in the comment section below. Thanks!
Lastly, to finish up, don’t be afraid of the new changes, embrace them.
There’s nothing we can really do but adapt. Hopefully, I’ve made it a little easier for you.
Cheers, all the best, and please share!
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Now that I can easily see who has most recently liked my page I’d like to send each person a Facebook message thanking them, but encouraging them to be in touch with questions they have, deals they spot (my site is about deals and saving money), etc. Do you know of any tools that would automatically send this type of message to new followers?
I looked around online and couldn’t find one.
Well What can I say.
This Blog is something else.
You over deliver like crazy. I found this Blog by accident. But its no accident this Blog is my secret place to visit over and over again,
Absolutely awesome.
Steve Reh
how get out rss of Time Line Facebook Page?
Great tutorial. The slicer works perfectly for pages but it does not work for personal pages. The profile picture scales different there somehow. I could not get it to work. Any ideas?
hi pat,
Can i build links to my facebook pages to build some authority in the eyes of google.
Hi, what is the html code to auto show username (current logged in user) in iframe tab?
ex Hi, Lissa Jess
Just finished setting up our timeline on Facebook, thanks to this wonderful post of course! Thank you for all your effort, and keep up the good work!
Pat,
Thank you so much for your excellent help with getting my FB page happening. It has given me a huge step up.
Pat, how do I get that paragraph under the Business/Economy title? If you look at mine at https://www.facebook.com/householdbudgetplanning, I have the Professional Services title with an icon to the left and then the website link under that.
I wish to change it to look like yours.
David
Pat
I really don’t know how to thank you for this. I was looking for various places to have a step by step information that simply teach me how to get timeline. I don’t think anybody can explain it this much precisely and with a timeline copy. You rock as usual buddy.
Thank you so much for this! I can’t wait to sit down and re-do my facebook page with the timeline design.
Thanks just started the process today..
And yeah kudos to the http://timelineslicer.com/ tool
Thank you so much for the tutorials. You have answered most of my questions about FB pages in one hit, great work! I have started upgrading my page, fingers crossed for more ‘likes’
Great tutorial.
Previously I followed tutorial on another web regarding landing pages and it wasn’t so clear and straight forward as this one above.
It saved me a lot of time.
Many Thanks
Well What can I say.
This Blog is something else.
You over deliver like crazy. I found this Blog by accident. But its no accident this Blog is my secret place to visit over and over again,
Absolutely awesome.
Hi..
Ur vids are so informative and helpful..
Can you also tell me how to see the previous videos I posted on Facebook?
Tell you what. I spent the better part of a day on youtube trying to find information how to create an html for my facebook fanpage…. and the truth is it was all RUBBISH! Then here you come and in less than 10 minutes I have a page up and running and now adding an opt in email form. Thanks for being short, precise and to the point… much success!
I haven’t done much with Facebook. Some people rave about how great it can be for your business, and I know people personally who’ve spent hundreds of dollars to get nothing more than a bunch of likes. This is great info though, and you do an awesome job.
This video was great, helped very much. However, you never got back to telling us how to add the facebook link to our fan landing page.
how can i add Radio in Welcome page =))
great tutorials
I was searching for a way to jazz up my fan page on FB, found your site instead. Your name is not new to me as I have visited your fan page last year.
Your site over-delivers which is something I will plan to do for my own site.
Thank you for supplying the info, now to make it mine.
cool stuff
Hey Pat – quick question unrelated to the FB tutorial here, but related to the images you embed. I know you use Mac Pages to do the torn sheet look. I do this also, within Pages docs. I love it. But I can’t figure out how to get the torn image as a JPG / PNG / Whatever to use on the web. How do you do this?
Chris
Hey Chris – after you have the image like you want it, click command + shift + 4 and drag a box around your image to take a screenshot. Then you have a .png on your desktop which you can use on the web. If you’re placing on a site with a certain background color, add a shape behind the image in Pages and then take a screenshot of that.
Thanks for all of the great information. Change is good. Change is good. Change is good!!!
How do I see who likes my page now? It’s only showing my my friends, which is only 12 out of 286. I want to see who the others are.
I can’t find out how to get Timeline in the first place. The green box saying “Get timeline” doesn’t show up on mine. What am I missing? How do I get it?
This video looks excellent. I want to come and use it once I have Timeline.
Thanks!
Hi Pat, Great blog! I’m a novice fb user. Is there a way to “highlight” a fan post on timeline? Someone posted a photo and comment, but only the comment is visible unless you click on it. Thanks for any help.
@ Joanne – Click the upper right triangle and use facebook as your page. Then you can click the people icon next to “facebook” in the top bar and click “see all” to see all your fans.
Hi Pat-
How did you get the ‘twitter’ and ‘you tube’ icon ON TOP of the red and black background image that you already had?
Thank you!
Thanks for the tutor, ive watch on youtube and it help me to set up and promote my landing page.
Hi Pat – Thanks for another awesome post. I’ve been meaning to get switched over to Timeline – you just made it less intimidating.
Hi Pat,
I tried following your Guideline to set up a landing page on my FB fan page. I was only partiall successful. I have manged to add an image, but my hope was to have those who liked my my page be directed to my website. That part is not working.
My FB Page is http://www.facebook.com/DonsPhoto
and my website is
http://dons-digital-photo-corner.com/
I’m not sure this is a good way to do it, but I would like to at least accomplish this.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.
Hey Don – you can’t have people be redirected to an off Facebook page immediately by clicking the Like button. It’s just not possible with the way FB has it setup. You can direct people in a link on the page they land on when they click on the like button though, or include a link in your about section too.
Hi Pat,
How did you manage to include a clickable and direct link back to your site on the front page of your About section? When I go to edit mine, it won’t allow it and will only accept a link in the Contact Info. I’ve tried using html as well as the url, but neither have worked. You can see it here https://www.facebook.com/freecvtemplates
Hope you can help and thanks for the amazing tutorial!!!
Ade
Hi Ade, I believe it’s because of the type of business page that you have. You may be set to a local store. You don’t need html either, it’ll automatically change any text with http:// to a link.
That is where I got confused in reading your article and watching the videos. I do have a link to my blog/website on my About page. I guess I just ned to keep reading the article and watching the video.
I totally understood the HTML re. displaying an image. I did not understand what was going on in the second area that only Fans see. It was that html that I could not understand what it was intended to do. I thought that was the link that got you off of FB.
I’ll keep struggling with it.
Pat, thanks so much for the prompt reply
Thanks so much Pat. I changed my the business page type and it now works!
Ade
Hi!
I am really thankful I found your website. This is a great help. When Facebook change to Timeline…I really got crazy on how to put the tabs for landing pages. You’re the best!
Thanks again…I’ll be following you!
Ianne
Hey Pat, thanks! What is the story on tagging (@mentions) in your Facebook page timeline?? There have been some recent changes but no direction. From what I can see… you can tags another page as your page but you have to like that other page. And the worst… you can’t tag personal profiles as your page. Any direction on this?? Thanks!
Hi, Pat.
I am a beginner. I have created my personal Facebook page. I hear that Facebook changes things often, so I don’t know if what I am reading online is current or not. What do you currently call the personal profile page? How do I use the profile page to create a Facebook Business Fan Page for my business, or is that information outdated? Are the personal and the business pages related? Do you have an article that could help me get started with my business fan page? I would so appreciate it! It’s hard to piece things together from outdated material. Thank you so much!
Hi Pat
I have followed you You Tube video on Static HTML landing pages and it works beautifully. I only have one Question that i have been struggling with. How can i create a Facebook Share button that look nice and has the Title, Description and Image that my friends can see and go to to possibly like?
I have got something that works but i have to enter the description and there is no Image.
Hope to here from you soon.
Kind Regards
Jeandré
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