Understand recent changes to FACEBOOK

Here are the recent updates (starting March 11) that allow you to get even more out of your Facebook site, and bring you closer to your customers. Plus reminders of useful, lesser-known features.

Much more emphasis on Photos: 5 pictures will now show up at the top of your Page (from March, 2011). The photos will be taken from those you add to your official albums (not from photos added by fans). The tabs that used to be at the top of the page are now on the side.

You should add a lot more Photos: if you've wondered how to have a dynamic album on your website that's easy to update, relax - the photo display on Facebook is better than ever. People don't have to be a 'fan' to view them, so bring on the variety and link directly to it. Make the photos a mix of your decor, the great dishes you serve and some of your fans having fun.

Add your website & phone number to the main profile Photo: the new changes have hidden the Page information (with contact details) that used to be below the picture, but a prominent web address and phone number remain essential - just as the phone number should be on the front of your website. You will need to crop a photo and then add text to it. Use the free FotoFlexer site - it's very easy. This profile photo should be a maximum of 180 x 540 pixels.

Have fan Comments emailed to you daily: this is a great development - go to 'Edit Page' (top right of your Page) and then 'Your Settings'. Click yes to have Page activity emailed to you. This keeps you updated to your fans without having to be logged in anc checking.

Remove creeps who try to hijack your Page: before you know it, there will be people are trying to sell dodgy products & services from your facebook site. You certainly don't want that - keep a close eye on activity and get rid of them - another reason why Facebook promotion can never be 'set and forget'.

Keep the language clean: want to make sure the comments on your site are appropriate? You can ban particular words in the 'Moderation blacklist' section of 'Manage permissions'. It's worth checking again through all the options here, and make sure you set the 'Wall Tab Shows' to 'All posts', otherwise you won't see contributions made by fans - often the most interesting part. Spam posts are also more likely to be picked up by Facebook and supressed.

Promote the Page everywhere: on signs, menus, badges and emails. Ask people to become a Fan and post comments or questions. For most people this is relaxation, not a difficult request, and they'll do it from their phone while they're at your place - easy!

Notify Fans of Events: you can't email fans randomly, but you can let them know about new events - the launch of a new menu, a band, or an upcoming special event. Be sparing (maximum once a month), but don't pass up the opportunity. Just as people are using Facebook as their photo album, it can also be your public Events diary.

Need to set up a Page? Start here - it's a 5 minute job. You just need a few sentences about what you do, and 5 photos from your hard drive. And please DON'T set up another personal Profile as a business - a big mistake that won't allow any of these useful features and breaks the Facebook rules.