Facebook’s new look timeline

New Facebook Timeline Layout

Facebook’s new timeline is being phased in worldwide and will become the standard view from the 18 January 2012.

The new Facebook Timeline will eventually go live for everyone on Facebook on the above date whether or not the user has taken the time to set it up, check it out, organise, clean it up or optimize the new Timeline view or even seen it!

What are the options?

There are a number of things you can do before that date, however. You could choose simply not activate the new Facebook Timeline profile, as it is not mandatory at the moment.

Alternatively, you can just wait until Facebook notifies you to activate the new Timeline design.

The downside, some say is, if you don’t like the new layout there is not a lot you can do as after the above date Facebook will activate and force the new timeline design on your profile regardless of what you think it good or bad.

However, if you want to use the new layout to test it out or even set it up you can activate it here: www.facebook.com/timeline by logging in to your Facebook account and clicking on the activation button on the bottom right of the page.

At that point, and for the time-being, Facebook will allow you to activate your Facebook Timeline profile and give you the option to make changes for a period of up to seven days before going live or being forced to switch!

What does it mean for users…

The new Facebook Timeline makes it easier to access all your activity and information posted. In the Facebook Timeline you can see all posts and activity that you and your friends have ever posted on your profile.

Facebook Timeline date listYour privacy settings on old posts will remain but you can use Facebook’s Privacy Settings page to customize your settings.

Privacy settings on the new Facebook profiles will let you decide what each person viewing your profile can see.  A post shared four years ago that was set to be viewable to just friends will continue to be viewable to just friends.

The only issue with that is friends of four years ago might or might not still be friends but your and their activity with them will be that much easier to find!

You will, however, have access to a feature called activity log where you can review all your posts and activity from today back to when you first started using Facebook. That will enable you to remove any compromising content or change its viewing status.

Although that will allow users to delete or hide information in their timeline it could result in a very long process depending how long your have been a Facebook user and your level of participation.

Although, it’s helpful having the option to remove content and control access to old content the problem is there might simply be too much there to contemplate going through it all. You might just have to bite the bullet.

To the general everyday user, the new Facebook Timeline may well be considered a cool feature enabling them to easy travel through time, allowing them to see all their memorable events, status updates, uploaded/tagged photos and friend lists from the very first day they they first joined Facebook.

Nothing has been removed and in the top right hand of the page is date list extending back to when you were born (if you added your birthday)!

If you haven’t seen or tried it out yet then it might be worth your while going here and activate it, have a look at your posts and see what you need to do before it’s rolled out on the 18th!

and businesses?

But, Facebook’s timeline will also provide a range of benefits bringing a smile to the faces of marketers and business users everywhere.

The main benefit will be access to more in-depth customer data. By going through an individuals Timeline, businesses and brands will be able to conduct virtual market research and gauge consumer behaviour over the course of a few weeks, months and even years or through the life cycle of their campaign or promotion.

All of this data can be gathered, assessed and implemented to maximise the effectiveness of marketing strategies and provide companies with solutions on how to better market products to customers.

Have you tried it yet? If you have give your opinion below.

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