Before you "pin" or "highlight" on Facebook Timeline, ask yourself these questions.

The integration of Facebook Timeline brought a slew of new goodies that may not have come across your radar yet.

One of these tools is the ability to “Pin to Top” of the page or “Highlight” a post within a page, but the bigger question, more than just the simple mechanics of clicking a pencil or star, is how to decide which content deserves this gold standard of your fans' of attention.

When considering what to do with certain media or posts, it’s important to think about the original purpose for which the content was created as well as the audience that it was created for. You wouldn’t want a work safety video highlighted on your page, but an ad campaign that showcased a new product line would be a perfect fit.  And you wouldn’t pin a policy or frequently asked questions to the top of your page every week; that content can be better placed on the About page.

Ask yourselves these questions before deciding to “Pin to Top” or “Highlight”:

 

Is it quality content?

You ultimately want your content speaking the language of those you want to talk to. Make sure it addresses them easily and succinctly. Also, that content needs to be delivered as simply as possible and easy to understand. It must speak directly to your readers, otherwise, why would they read anything more from you? Livestrong, an organization that serves people affected by cancer, does a great job of putting vital information in the forefront.

Is it relevant to my overall branding strategy?

Every company and entity should have a tone and a voice, especially online. It is important to know and understand what this is before you pin something to the top of a page for a week. It can be as simple as going back and thumbing through Web copy, previously published blogs, or memos to better understand how to cultivate content that is appropriate to Highlight on a page.

Is it promoting conversation and/or conversion?

Content that asks questions about your industry or product can be a great avenue for fan conversion into sales. For instance, the above Starbucks poll is not only a fun conversation starter, but a great way to learn more about your audience. Thought-provoking questions take time and have to be cultivated. The result is often something that is noteworthy to everyone even remotely interested in your company or product, which leads us to…

Is it timely?

The whole idea of Facebook Timeline is that it forces you to think of Facebook as something that chronicles every stage of your life — personal, brand, company, etc. With that in mind, you have to think of your content as having a life cycle as well. If it’s old, whether in theme or context, cut it out and get a fresh take that allows for the evolving of your brand as well as your customers or clients. Also, keep in mind what triggers an action from your audience. Help them solve a problem and you'll have a customer for life.

Bells and whistles are great, but what you do with them is what matters on Facebook. Eventually and undoubtedly, there will be a whole new selection of ways to publish content to your page. Remember, it will never be a one-size-fits-all approach. Take time to think about how best to utilize the content you have regularly and keep up with what works with your audience through analytics.

Catie Farrell is a Social Media Planner at Luckie & Company. She can be reached by email or follow @caetee on Twitter.

Image via trp0 on Flickr.