Without FBML Apps, Facebook Leaves Page Policies Without A Home
By Patrick Courtney
F
acebook made some Page updates recently including the elimination of the Boxes tab and shrinking the width of the canvas to 520x. We knew it was coming (Facebook announced the changes last October) and Facebook were kind of enough to display to admins ahead of time what their tabs would look like with the new 520x width, so most brands were prepared when the changes were unveiled this week.
Then Facebook announced they were eliminating the FBML application. From the internal rumblings of the Affinitive development team, this presents huge opportunities. However, there is at least one major consequence.
The elimination of both boxes and FBML apps means no more content on the left-hand column of the Wall tab (save for the native field below the profile image.) Before this announcement, many brands used the left-hand column to place their moderation policies, guidelines, rules of the road and required legal language. For some brands (a few of our clients included), that copy is required by their legal and compliance teams.
This content must now be pared down to the 255 character limit of the native field if you hope to keep it in the profile column. That might work if it’s one line of legal, but a 200 word policy? Think again.
For now, the easiest option is to place the content on the Info tab, which allows for significantly more text. Linked from the native field under the profile photo, the policy or legal language can still be referenced on the Wall tab. If that’s not an option, try creating an additional “Our Policy” or “Legal” tab with an application so there’s a persistent navigation item referencing the required language.
Either way, if you’re a brand with a policy or legal language in the left-hand column of your Facebook page, you should discuss your options with your legal or compliance teams and find a way to adapt quickly. Facebook is notoriously fickle, and the last thing you need is to get yourself caught in some social media red tape.
