FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. -- Visitors to the installation's Facebook page, facebook.com/ftmeade, will experience a new design and features beginning Thursday morning.
The update is part of Facebook's new timeline format for pages.
The Army's Facebook page, facebook.com/usarmy, was one of approximately 30 organizations that introduced the new format on Feb. 29. The social network has required all pages to transition to the format by March 30.
"As soon as we learned about the requirement, we started to plan for it," said Jason Kelly, Fort Meade's emerging media manager. "It is more than just a new look. It is a refined way for our community to connect."
The update adds another way for community members to provide feedback about Fort Meade's services and organizations.
"We've always answered questions posted on our Facebook page, but sometimes we need additional information that may not be appropriate for posting on the page such as a telephone number or address," Kelly said.
Users can now send private messages through the page to the Public Affairs Office and receive a response without leaving Facebook.
Other changes include milestones and a timeline, which extend far beyond Fort Meade's first post on May 14, 2009.
"Fort Meade has a very rich history dating back to training Soldiers here for World War I," Kelly said. "Now, we're able to share our history to better tell our story."
Users can now explore significant milestones and historical photos by scrolling down the page.
The design is similar to the timeline that Facebook introduced for profiles last September. New features on the installation's page include a cover photo, highlighted posts and larger stories.
The update allows the Public Affairs Office to keep information at the top of the page, Kelly said.
"Now, we can showcase what's important, regardless if it is a text-based post, photo album or a video," he said.
It may take some time to adjust to the new design, Kelly said.
"Social media is constantly evolving," he said. "Sometimes, those changes are beyond our control. It's one of the reasons why we didn't rush to transition to the new design. We wanted to make sure we got it right."
Guide to new features on Fort Meade's Facebook page
- The concept behind the new design is the timeline. Visitors can now click on the timeline to read past posts and learn about milestones in Fort Meade's history. Users can also scroll down the page to view recent posts.
- The message button is a new tool. Users who like Fort Meade's Facebook page can now send the Public Affairs Office a private message and receive a response. The feature is similar to sending a message to a friend. It is not a real-time chat.
- There are now four ways to view and organize content on the page: highlights, friend activity, posts by (Fort Meade) and posts by others. Highlights, which is shown in the photo above, displays Fort Meade's posts, the user's friends who also like the page, and recent posts that are not from PAO. Friend activity shows posts on the page by a user's friends. Posts by Fort Meade displays only content from PAO. "Posts by others" display all posts that are not from PAO. Visitors can switch between the views by selecting the drop-down menu next to the No. 3 shown above.
For more information, call Jason Kelly at 301-677-1109 or email jason.s.kelly.civ@mail.mil.
Social Sharing