Do you remember the good old days of Facebook, when your news feed was a collection of photos and posts from people who you actually knew? After all, Facebook was one of the first major social media platforms of our generation, allowing users to connect with friends and relatives to keep up with each other’s lives.
Chances are, your Facebook feed looks very different today. News clips, Tasty videos and advertisements often dominate our feeds, with a few photos or posts from our friends sprinkled in. Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has announced that this will soon change and Facebook will return to its former glory, showing more posts from friends and family in our feeds and lessening “clutter” from outside sources.
Why the change?
Facebook says that this change is intended to encourage more communication between users. Shifting the content of the feed from public posts by brands and media to posts by your own friends increases the engagement on posts. The change was decided after Facebook’s review of their own study that concluded that people feel “crummy” after aimlessly scrolling through feeds of posts they do not engage with. Zuckerberg announced that he feels responsible to ensure Facebook’s services are good for people’s health and well-being: “The research shows that when we use social media to connect with people we care about, it can be good for our well-being.” Way to go, Facebook! While shifting users’ content may not make investors happy, it benefits users’ well-being by encouraging them to engage. It also takes an influential stance in the social media sphere by making a decision to benefit user’s health rather than generate revenue.
What this means:
Facebook’s news feed shift will likely result in more engaged, repeat users. Though they might not stay on Facebook as long – aimlessly scrolling like zombies – they will participate in a social experience and likely return to the site more often. For advertisers and publishers who rely on Facebook, this news can be a major blow. However, the prediction that users will appear regularly to the site can actually be good news.
Influencers, listen up! Facebook’s study confirmed a major theory that many of us already believed: people feel GOOD about interacting with content that they relate to on their timeline and crummy after scrolling through posts from third-parties. Use your platform to be a source of good! When your followers see your posts on their feed, you want them to feel comfortable as if they know you, increasing their likelihood of engagement.
Establishing the right social media content for your brand can be tricky, but we’re here to help! At LMS, we know the power of social media and how it can grow your brand. Contact us at imgame@wearelms.com and check out our blog for more helpful tips.
