The everchanging Facebook is at it again, and has announced improvements to Facebook pages that will help businesses better manage communication and increase fan engagement.

At the moment the upgrade is optional and Facebook is giving you the option to “tour” the new upgrades without having to upgrade. At the time of this writing I had attempted the tour, but it doesn’t appear to do anything. Facebook is also giving page admins the opportunity to upgrade their pages at their own discretion, however as of March 1 all pages will be concerted to the new format without an option for reverting back.

Facebook has promoted the changes as opportunities for better communication, more opportunities for expression, and improved relevance.

Communication

With the upgrade you can now receive notifications about fan activity, Like and comment on other Pages as the Page persona. In the past all comments and likes were reserved for Facebook users. Additionally Pages now get a news feed where you can engage with other pages you like.

Expression

With the upgrade Pages will now share similar elements of the recent Facebook profile update. Pages can now feature photos at the top of your page and highlight other Pages you are connected with as well as Page admins.

Relevancy

The final new feature announced helps make Pages more engaging for users. An “Everyone” filter on the Wall offers an opportunity for people to see the most interesting posts first. Additionally it creates a place for people to discover the friends and interests they have in common with a Page.

In my opinion the most vital of these updates for businesses is the ability to interact with users and pages as a Page and not a user. There is a huge disconnect between a business and its Page admin and oftentimes contacting users or other businesses as an individual and not a Page can cause breaks in communication.

What are your thoughts on the upgrade? Are you happy with the changes or is this just one more way Facebook is forcing its users to do what they want, when they want.

UPDATE: Upon converting one of my pages to the new format I found a significant flaw to the new format. It would appear that tabs are gone. Meaning any landing tabs, promotion tabs, etc. are no longer available to Facebook Page visitors.