Change is inevitable — kids grow up, people move and leave old jobs for new ones, one day the All Blacks may even lose the World Cup again (just hopefully not this year…). While change can be disorienting, it’s not so bad if you’ve got the time to prepare for it. One change we thought we’d better shed some light on is the case of the “Facebook Phantom”.
From time to time you may notice things moving around on your page; tabs disappearing and reappearing, page layouts mysteriously moving about like a slide puzzle, even occasionally posts migrating from your main wall into the ‘posts’ section. While we’d love to have the power to play with the very fabric of Facebook (and there are a few changes we’d make, believe us!), the platform offers little in the way of customisation, and alas we lack the power to do so. We’d also be intrigued if it were the work of a mischievous imp somewhere in Facebook’s code that found entertainment in wreaking havoc on pages — would make for a great work story! In reality, it’s not because of anything we’re doing, you’re going, or any phantom that we know of is doing, it’s simply a case of where we’re located.
New Zealand is used as a test market for new products and services across a range of industries thanks to us being a relatively small nation that nonetheless shares a lot of similarities with our larger Western counterparts like the US and UK. While this means we often get to try a new sauce or sandwich before our friends in the Northern Hemisphere, it also means we’re subject to companies like Facebook testing out new features and subtle tweaks before anyone else has seen them. While some of these are game-changers, others can be more irritating and confusing than they are helpful…
So what to do? The short answer is… nothing. Facebook is still the easiest, most cost-effective way of getting your brand in front of your target audience. If this means the odd double-take upon loading your page, it’s a small price to pay when weighed against the potential rewards. While the less appealing tweaks won’t stick around long, we’re also often the first in the world to experience the upgrades that make our lives easier. If you’re ever stuck on why something doesn’t look right on your page we’re always happy to help — just know that this “phantom” is one that even we can’t always control!
