Facebook Timeline Will Be Mandatory For Brand Pages March 30

Up until now, companies that managed their own brand page on Facebook could decide whether or not they wanted to opt in to the new Timeline format. Come March 30, though, that choice will no longer be optional. The social networking site will foribly convert all existing brand pages to the new layout at the end of the month, a move that is sure to cause mixed reactions.

Brand owners have no doubt spent considerable time decorating their Facebook pages to look perfect and function exactly as they want. By switching to Timeline, they'll have to start from the ground up. And that's not the only way the new format will be a hindrance. For example, bands are not allowed to use third-party apps like ReverbNation or BandPage to use as their landing page.

Having a dazzling landing page is one of the most critical things every brand must do, whether it's a graphic design firm, a musical group, an online store, or anything else. By eliminating the use of third-party landing pages, Facebook is making that nearly impossible. The idea is that Facebook wants your Timeline page to be the thing that all visitors see when they come to your brand's page for the first time. That's kind of the whole point of switching over to Timeline. So everyone will have to get used to it, but this is Facebook so you can't exactly fight back.

[via LA Times]