Facebook has announced a change to its news feeds that will help group content according topic. Marketers who appropriately optimize their Facebook content might find their branded posts are categorized into valuable news feed clusters… assuming, of course, that users welcome the feature.
In its blog, Facebook captures a screen shot of how the updated news feed works. One user created a post about the latest Harry Potter film, and now his connections see a series of news updates all related to friends’ recent posts about the film.
Facebook says this update aims to “show you the most relevant and interesting information, and this test is designed to show you trends among what your friends are saying.”
For marketers, this might be a way to boost visibility for brand posts about topics fans are discussing, thereby inserting a business into the Facebook conversations that crop up on news feeds. (Though Facebook hasn’t stated whether or not Pages updates will be included in the feature…)
But marketers might take note that the update is not being well-received by some early responders. While more than 5,000 users Like the announcement, the 2,534 comments reveal some very unhappy Facebook campers. One users says, “I would prefer to decide for myself what is relevant and important.” Another says, “Another +1 for Google+.”
The mixed reactions to Facebook’s update may remind marketers that it’s important to reach out consumers via multiple social media marketing channels. In addition to the clear alternate social option of the moment (Google+), marketers should remember that LinkedIn is proving its worth in driving inbound leads. Plus, as Brafton recently reported, the professional-oriented social network recently announced it hit a new milestone in terms of active members.
