In 2007, Facebook began the rollout of the now well-known Business Page model, allowing businesses to harness the power of social media to increase brand awareness through a digital storefront. Since then, the platform has undergone multiple layout updates and new feature additions with more than 2 billion people on Facebook looking onward. Now, there are more new changes on the horizon, and they have implications for compliance & marketing teams.
What's New
As of January 2021, Facebook continued the updates tradition by announcing the roll out the newly redesigned Facebook Pages Experience that claims to make it “simpler for public figures and creators to build community and achieve their business objectives". This update advertises:
- Redesigned layout that’s simpler and more intuitive.
- Dedicated News Feed to discover and join conversations.
- Updated task-based admin controls giving trusted Page admins full control or partial access.
- A new Q&A format for more interactive conversations.
The Facebook Pages Experience first introduced into beta testing at the beginning or 2021 but roll out has come in waves over the past few months. The new Business Page format is designed to look more like Facebook's Personal Profiles to soften the divide between business and personal affairs on the platform.
What's Different
Despite Facebook's promotion, the new layout has elicited moans and groans from compliance and marketing teams everywhere since not all previously listed information is transferring properly to the updated pages. Notably, Facebook users of the new page layout are citing that some pivotable information, like their About Section text, is missing altogether. One additional major change is the removal of a page's "Likes Count". Business Pages will now have a dedicated focus on Follower counts and public reviews. The update also includes an emphasis on account "Mentions", so be mindful of RESPA Section 8 concerns with referral partners.
The Impressum
Facebook initially removed the Impressum section and returned the filed after some rounds of public backlash. However, as of February, 2024, the Impressum section has once again begin removed from page visitor view in web browsers. Time will tell if Facebook intends to reinstate the field, but the current status of the field offers no support for regulatory audits. Check out our article The Impressum is Dead for more information.
Common Facebook Errors
With these new updates, a slew of errors within the Facebook platform have begun to emerge. Some fields are wiped completely clean in this transition while others trail outside of the viewable window. NOTE: some of the reported errors shown below display errors that are only reflected in the desktop view of the page but can appear normal when the page is viewed on the Facebook mobile app.
Intro section is cut off. Account owners will need to edit this text to fit within the new 101 character limit.
Impressum section text running off the window with no “Read More” option. This is a Facebook error with no resolution offered at this time.
Details section text running off the window with no “Read More” option. This is a Facebook error with no resolution offered at this time.
The new Reviews tab shows contradictory information about the number of reviews and often does not display legitimate reviews that have been made.
What's Next for Marketing & Compliance Teams
As updates happen, compliance and marketing teams should be prepared to pivot and adjust internal social media guidance. Teams should consider the following:
- Ensure that appropriate licensing information is contained in cover photos and in the About overview section.
- Modify corporate cover photos to include licensing information on the left or right side. Profile photos in the new template will be centered on the page. UPDATE: As of November 12th, 2021, Facebook has modified the New Pages Experience to be left-justified once again.
- Create or re-emphasize the internal processes around social media reviews and complaints.
Facebook's Help Center provides additional information on the New Pages Experience transition. ActiveComply will continue to monitor the situation and how our lender partners may be impacted. For more information, see ActiveComply’s article on Facebook New Pages Experience Guide.