7 things you need to know about new timeline feature for pages.

Facebook has opened its new profile design, Timeline, to business, brand and organization pages.

1. You can now Message fans directly – Now people can contact you privately using messages. Notifications about new messages will appear right in your admin panel
2. Pin your Favorite Post to the top – Hover over a story and click on the star icon to make the post wider. Click on the pencil icon to pin the item to the top of your page, hide it or delete it from the site altogether.
3. Change your Fan Page name – For those brands who have been stuck with the dreaded “misspelled” or “inaccurate” fan page name, you now have a way to request to change it.Be sure to make the fan page name your actual business name. As brands begin leveraging the open graph, insuring your name is accurate will be key.
4. Photos, Likes, and Apps moved – Photos, likes and apps are now at the top of your page. Photos show in the first spot, but you can change the order of everything else so people see what matters most. You can show a maximum number of 12 apps, so make sure to put your most important ones first.
5. New administrator panel – Keep track of your activity on your page from the admin panel. Respond when people write on your page timeline, and view your latest insights. Visit your activity log to review all your posts and activity.
6. Cover photo – The cover photo can be up to 850 pixels by 315 pixels but may not contain any of the following:
   • Price or purchase information, such as “40 percent off” or “Download it at our website.”
   • Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for your Page’s About section.
   • References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features.
   • Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”
7. Default landing tabs are gone – Facebook has removed the ability to create a default landing tab. Instead, the new tabs can be up to 760 pixels wide.

The new brand pages aren’t compatible with mobile Facebook apps yet, but they will be soon. Businesses can begin converting their Facebook pages on Wednesday, Feb 29th 2011. The update is not optional: Those pages that have not switched will be forced to make the change on March 30.

Read more at Facebook.com

via AllFacebook.com