Well,
Facebook is at it again. Just when you were getting comfortable with
the new look of the Facebook newsfeed and customizing you filter
settings to perfection, Facebook throws a curve ball. Earlier this
week Facebook announced an updated newsfeed has been in the works and
slowly rolling out since March with even more filtering options and
bigger image displays (think a la Google + cover photos) is on its
way to all users. Before you throw your hands up and hover over the
"delete page" option, let us give you a quick rundown of
the pros and cons of the upcoming change. You might be surprised to
find that the positives outweigh the negatives.
Pros:
1.
Bigger images=bigger engagement: The stats prove it, the more
photographs you post, the greater the chances of an engagement spike.
Bigger photos could mean even bigger numbers.
2.
New filters: The updated layout will allow users to customize their
filters even more with options like "just photos" "just
games," etc. The distinction is great news for businesses
posting images because the chance of grabbing a user’s attention
and having a positive reaction is greater.
3.
Aggregating video statistics in one place: Ever post a video and then
have someone share it only to find that there is more engagement on
their post than your original one? The lack of aggregation made it
nearly impossible to determine the effectiveness of a post. Facebook has
recognized the issue, so now the video from its original source will
show up in the newsfeed with the profile photos of people who have
shared it appearing to the left of the video. In the new format, all
likes, comments, and shares will show up on the original post making
it easier for you to measure engagement.
4.
Streamlined Interface: Photos will appear the same whether users are
on a desktop or mobile device.
Cons:
1.
More opportunities for users to "shut out the noise": As
Biggie once said "mo' filters, mo' problems." Ok, maybe
that wasn't technically it, but we think he would agree. Updates to
newsfeed filters could be a positive for some businesses and a
negative for others. If you are not producing content that people
want to see, it is even easier for users to ignore your posts (i.e.:
not posting enough photos). Which leads right into...
2.
Photo Woes: Don't have enough photos? Run a business page that isn't
conducive to producing eye-catching photography? Just like 2012, 2013
is the year of visuals when it comes to social media. If you are not
playing the image game, you will have a hard time finding success. We
suggest building your photo inventory, finding images online that are
applicable, and starting to think about how videos could play a game
in your social media plan. Remember the golden rule while adding to
your visual database: thou shalt not violate the laws of copyright.
Overall
we find the pros outweigh the cons in the recent Facebook change. We
know there will be grumbling (there is hardly a Facebook update that
doesn't result in an outpour of status update rage), but, in the long
run, we see the metamorphosis as a natural adaptation in the current
social media trends. For marketers already seeing success on
Facebook, we think the update will help their campaigns. For
marketers struggling to see results on Facebook, we think the
modification is a wake-up call to re-evaluate their content.
What
are your thoughts on these changes?
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