Facebook Timeline Rollout for Brands: Cover Photo Could Benefit Business [PHOTO]

By Lisa Eadicicco | February 29 2012 3:13 PM

Facebook Timeline has generated quite a bit of buzz around the Internet community, with users constantly questioning when the update will become mandatory. The now-public company just rolled out its big switch for brand pages, upholding the claim made by executives earlier in the month.

Screenshot of Coca Cola's brand page on Timeline

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Although the new format has received some flak from users, the Timeline feature may be more advantageous for business oriented profiles.

Oversized graphics and a pin board style layout, likening Facebook to newer social media sites such as Pinterest, can provide easier advertising opportunities for businesses. According to visual statistics from EyeTrackShop, the profile's cover photo is the first thing viewers notice.

Its [cover photo] goal is to symbolize what an organization is all about, Facebook's Product Director of Ads Gokul Rajaram said to TechCrunch. For a restaurant it could be a popular menu item, a band could display album cover art, and a business could show a picture of their customers using their product,

Personal information also gets more viewership, which means that readers pay more attention to the brand's details and employer information.

But the new scrapbook style layout may not work to the benefit of individual users. Privacy issues have been a concern since the format was introduced, with users arguing that the website exposes too much of their history.

Timeline offers extended features that weren't available on Facebook's previous format. A Life Events tab allows users to mark significant benchmarks in one's life, and a large scrollable map is displayed on one's profile, pinpointing any tagged check-in.

And some social media surfers took to Twitter to vocalize their opinions on Facebook's latest update.

Has your Facebook profile updated to Timeline format? Your privacy settings may have been trashed, one user posted on Twitter.

Dear @facebook...the new timeline for pages SUCKS. I'm trying to keep up with regular discussion on status updates and it's lost in crap, wrote another user, referring to the pin board style layout.

Although rumors have spanned the Internet about a finalized date for the mandatory switch, nothing has been confirmed. Some Facebook user profiles still remain in the previous format.

Screenshot of Coca Cola's brand page on Timeline