How to prepare your non-profit page for Facebook Timelines

Yesterday, Facebook announced that it would introduce the new Facebook timeline-layout for all Facebook pages on March 30. This means you have one month to get ready.

Below are some suggestions that can help you create Facebook covers in no time:

• If you have compelling images, or just for inspiration, take a look at these non-profit timeline covers. I love the idea that these organizations share their Covers with their supporters – a smart and cheap way to market an organization.

Facebook Timeline of the Ocean Conservatory

• If you don’t have compelling images, or if you are in a hurry, you can always take a screenshot of you annual report or a similar key-publication and cut that image to 849×314 pixels to fit the timeline.  Alternatively, take a a photo of a report or document that shows your organization’s logo. Ideally you should take that photo at an angle and use depth of field to blur parts of the image.
  

  You can easily cut images like these to create a Facebook Cover. All you need is document with your logo on it and a camera.

• Of course you can also always take a look at Flickr and use advanced search to find images that are licensed through creative comments and can be modified. It#s what I have done for my own Facebook page.
• Don’t like images? Then use Wordle.net to create a text cloud of your web page and crop it to fit.

Wordle of Social Media for Good

• You can find instructions and a photoshop template for making Facebook Covers on John Haydon’s blog.
• Last but not least, go to https://www.facebook.com/about/pages/ and take a look at your existing Facebook pages. Facebook has done a pretty decent job at taking you by the hand and leading you through the process.