Facebook’s ever-changing News Feed algorithm has been updated once more with new features. Last year the company updated their News Feed to allow users control unfollowing and refollowing posts from people, Pages, and Groups. Now, they’re allowing users to personalize their News Feed experience based on what they enjoy viewing the most. Facebook News Feed’s updated controls include:
- selecting whose content users see first,
- being able to find new pages to connect to,
- unfollowing people to hide their posts, and
- reconnecting with people previously unfollowed.
So what does this mean for brands who utilize Facebook as a means for targeting their consumers?
We’ve highlighted a few things marketers need to know:
Prioritize Friends and Pages to See First
Users can now select up to 30 accounts to prioritize, meaning their updates will appear at the top of the News Feed. A star next to the account will remind users that they have chosen to see their updates the most.
Discover New Pages
This section is based on Pages similar to those users have already liked, and Pages liked by similar people. This feature is meant to let users easily find Pages that they would be most interested in.
Unfollow or Reconnect
This is an updated design of the feature released last year. Here, users can see a list of the top accounts they’ve seen in the past week and choose to unfollow any friend, Page or Group if they no longer wish to see their updates. There is also a section of all the accounts users have unfollowed in the past and have the option to refollow them at any given moment.
Brand Strategies
These updated News Feed features will likely alter how brands will craft their presence on Facebook. They’ll now have to think about what kind of posts will make users want to prioritize them on their news feeds, as well as how much content is too much content, leading users to unfollow. There is an advantage! Brands will be able to get a number of how many users are prioritizing their pages – a factor that provides insight on what’s working and what’s not when developing posts.
Is your brand ready for the Facebook update? Contact our team at Van West Media for assistance with your social media marketing plan!