Facebook to Roll Out A New Profile Page

Facebook is continuing to grow in leaps and bounds and keeping this social networking giant interesting and fresh is one of its priorities.  On December 5, it was announced that FaceBook will now offer a spruced up new profile page giving users a cleaner interface and offering a better way for users to present themselves to this digital community.  Here are just a few key points regarding the new profile which is now available to all users.

No Privacy Issues

Facebook was smart this time.  The new profile feature does not set off the privacy alarms as many of the old updates have.  When it comes to privacy, Facebook states boldly that a user's privacy settings have not defaulted due to these changes.  So you don't have to worry that implementing these changes means also accessing and modifying your privacy settings.

New Profile Highlights

For those now switching to the new profile option, you will immediately notice the personal highlights which are prominently posted above each of the user's profiles.  FaceBook uses the information that you have provided including address, relationship status, your work info and formats a small overview for each member.  For those that also use the business social networking site LinkedIn, you will definitely notice some similarities.  One change that may irk some is the "Say Something" box.  This is where many enjoy putting their famous quotes or how they are feeling.  This box has now disappeared from its prime retail location and has been moved to the "About Me" section, which is further down the page. Below you can see the changes that offer users more information with just a quick glance.

Your Relationships Organized

Besides offering easy access to members about yourself, the new profile also helps you organize your relationships and share them with others.  You can create groups of the people close to you and organize them neatly into groups such as Family, Best Friends, School Pals, Coworkers and more.  This makes it extremely easy to prioritize your profile and show the community who is important to you. Here is a sample from Facebook:

New Messaging Tool is Integrated into the Profile

Regarding the other new addition to Facebook- its new messaging tool, this new messaging tool is still prominent and integrated within this new profile.For those looking to send messages, you can do so easily straight from the profile page.

Photos Play a Big Part

Facebook has always allowed users to upload and share photos, however, this feature has become extremely popular and one of the main ways that users communicate with others. Facebook understands this aspect of their community and has made photos easier than ever to upload, share and show off utilizing their new profile design.

The New Profile and its Effects on SEM

While creating a personal profile for a business entity is against Facebook's TOS (Terms of Service), many still find ways to promote their skills using personal profiles. For those that do so, including linking to your business page you should definitely take some time to understand how the new profile page works. For many, the "Say Something" box that was right underneath the main photo used to be a great spot to put a link to your business or FB business page; however, now it has moved forcing many to rethink how to link to sites and pages that are important. In addition, some information regarding work/business now defaults to a generic community page when a link is clicked on. So, for those looking to maximize their marketing potential, definitely take the time to play around with the new profile to make sure that your link is prominent and goes to the site/page that you want when someone clicks on it.

Upgrade to the New Profile Now/strong>

For those that are interested in upgrading to the new profile now, you can visit the following link. If you choose not to upgrade now, your profile pages will be updated once the rollout begins. For more information regarding this update visit: http://www.facebook.com/about/profile/