Facebook has announced that it will be offering "major improvements" to Pages. The updates aim to help brands manage social communication and boost overall engagement.

Brafton recently reported that Facebook accounts for an increasing amount of Americans' online time. Now, marketers may be better positioned to engage consumers when they are on the social site, thanks to updated to Facebook Pages.

Facebook has announced that it will be offering “major improvements” to Pages. The updates aim to help brands manage social communication and boost overall engagement.

The company now offers new notifications to help brands monitor Page activity. This will likely be good news to many marketers, as Brafton has reported that tracking social mentions is cited as a top method of monitoring social ROI. Page users can now receive notice when fans comment on their sites.

Additionally, social marketers can enhance their branded communication with new opportunities to make comments and Like things on other Pages “as their Pages.” (This means marketers can make comments as their brands instead of just as themselves.) This is a great opportunity for brands to move beyond their own Pages to engage prospects and fans wherever they are on Facebook.

The company explains that it's also updating Pages in the style of the recent profile updates, which Brafton covered back in December. This can help marketers' Pages look fresh, as recent photos will be displayed at the top of a Page. This also gives brands the chance to highlight the people who manage a Page, emphasizing the human side of the virtual site. Here's what Brafton's Facebook Page looks like with the new Page features.

Finally, a new “Everything” filter is being offered with the goal of improving the relevancy of content for visitors. The filter puts the most “interesting” posts first so they are the first things Page visitors see.

Marketers can upgrade their Pages starting today. Facebook officials say these are some of many updates the company has in store for Pages. Marketers should also be on the lookout for Facebook ecommerce options that are reportedly in the works.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.