Facebook launched a number of profile and newsfeed changes much to the horror of its 750+ million plus users.  Most of these changes affect the single user experience but what about business pages? Will they be affected?

The answer is an astounding yes.  Law firms and lawyers that use Facebook for business by using Facebook Pages will have to start thinking more like publishers.  Status updates should inspire users to share and interact content.  This can be tricky when it comes to law firms but it is possible.

It's important to note Facebook has enabled a control in the top right of each story where users can check to unmark a top story.  Consider the number of status updates you post each day from your law firm page - will your fans find the information useful or a nuisance? Will your updates inspire conversation and action? They better.

Users are no longer able to view posts sorted by "most recent". Facebook uses EdgeRank to determine whch stories users will see.  Most Facebook users don't interact with business pages very often.  Facebook page owners will need to think up new ways to interact with their fans to be viewed more often.  How will you do this? 

My favorite update is the "Friend Activity Feed" located on the left hand column of Facebook pages.  It's easy to view how your page was interacted with: who liked your pictures, who shared a post, etc.  It's a good idea to take note of who your top "sharers" are and thank them!

What do you think of the new changes?