How To Use The New Facebook Timeline

Facebook has announced that profiles will soon be disappearing, being replaced by Facebook Timeline. It’s a new interface equipped with multiple features, all of which are supposed to make your experience on Facebook easier and more beneficial for you and your friends.

Facebook is implementing it on a rollout schedule. Depending on what part of the world you are in, you may have already converted. If not, it will happen soon – they are hoping to have rollout completed in the next few weeks.

When you login, you will be notified you now have Timeline and will have seven days to complete it the way you choose before it goes live for your friends to see ( you can publish it earlier if you have it complete). Keep in mind Timeline is the new Profile – you won’t be able to go back and Profiles will disappear whether you convert or not.

While Timeline will not affect your Pages, it is important to keep in mind that when people look for you personally, your Timeline is what they will see. Choose what you want to show and what you want to hide – here are some tips for understanding the new Timeline.

1. Start With The Introduction

The quickest way to learn about Facebook Timeline is to head over and read through the Introduction feature. You’ll find a quick help section that will show you the new features and give you some tips to use on your own design.

2. Build your Timeline

When you are used to something, making a change can seem difficult. But in many ways Timeline is more intuitive and will help you quickly add, build and see what is most important to you.

Start by adding a cover photo. You can choose something you have in your photos, or upload something new. Change it around and showcase what you currently are doing.

 

Under your cover photo is your “control panel” – you’ll see your information on the left and your activity on the right. Click on update info to make changes, or your activity log to see all of your posts and activity since you’ve joined. Review things and make changes easily with just a click.

Then scroll down. Your content will be displayed in chronological order. It will show you (and others) what you’ve added while you’ve been on Facebook. This is a great way to review your posts – especially your early posts when you were just starting out. If you like a post, hover over it and click the star to expand it to full widescreen. Or click the pencil to hide or delete the post all together.

3. Your published – adding is easy

Once you publish your Timeline, you’ll be able to quickly add with the Timeline toolbar. For the most part, its still familiar and works the same way your Profile worked. If you want to post a comment, click on the Status. Update your photos to the Photo section. Click on Place if you want to let people know where you are. And for all others, click on the Life Event.

The Life Event area gives you a lot of options – and also gives room to allow you to add too much information that you really don’t want the world knowing.

In the Relationship area, you can add that you are engaged or married, added a new family member or a pet, or even selecting “loss of a loved one”.

In the Travel and Experiences area, you can add that you speak a new language, have a new tattoo, or are celebrating “firsts”, such as a first word or a first kiss.

In the Health and Wellness section, let people know you are celebrating a weight loss or have a broken bone.

Again, too much info for the online world? Maybe. Make sure you think twice before revealing your secrets to the world.

Keep in mind that you can choose public or private options as you are adding each event.

What do you think of Timeline? Have you seen any cool cover designs?

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We're the co-founders of VirtualPhotographyStudio.com and have been writing on this blog since 2004. We started Virtual as a way to help photographers stretch beyond a part time income, and develop strategies to become a Five Figure Photographer or a Six Figure Photographer. Ultimately its all about lifestyle, and if your goal is to live as a photographer 24/7, we think you should have the knowledge and the tools to do so. Welcome!

  • Chris

    Hi great article. Im currently one of the unpaid but great photography apprenticeships and looking to become a full time photographer. Never really thought much into the FB timeline. This has gave me some ideas. Thanks
    Photography apprenticeships