Facebook Updates Updated

Not two weeks after I wrote this post encouraging you not to rely on Facebook Page Updates to relay messages to your fans, Facebook has improved the updates mechanism on Facebook, listing Page updates under inbox messages.  With this new layout, Page administrators should see an increased response to updates.  Here’s a screenshot of the old layout:

Here’s a screenshot of the new layout:

The main difference between the new and the old is that the number of updates is now listed just under the number of inbox messages- something that most Facebook users do check. One drawback I see is that updates are still not included in the message count next to inbox on the homepage.  Thus, I may have 76 updates, but because I have no messages, there is no count next to my inbox:

This is a definite improvement over the old layout, and I am hopeful that Facebook will continue to improve the update feature as it could be a powerful tool for Page administrators  However, until  we see marked improvement in update responses reported, I would still use updates as a complement to wall posts and e-mail campaigns rather than relying solely on updates.

For another take on the new layout, head over to AllFacebook.com.