Facebook it is going to make a major change to its News Feed, favoring posts shared by friends and family rather than brands and publishers.
This means that when you visit Facebook either on the web or on mobile, most of the stories and videos you see will be there because your Facebook friends have shared them, not because a company whose page you “Liked” once published a story or update.
In an announcement about the change, Adam Mosseri says that publishers' posts won't be downgraded because of the change, but because the "friends and family come first" approach has clear implications: since publishers depend on Facebook for a significant portion of their audience, the change will affect brands' ability to reach their audience.
For these brands, the change to the News Feed means publishers are likely to face new pressures to create content that is, above all, “shareable.” This seems to favor entertainment stories over more boring but important news.
From a user perspective, the change means Facebook will be an even better place to discuss the stories your friends are already discussing. Facebook will also prioritize posts from your most engaged friends.
If that sounds like exactly how you thought News Feed was already working, you’re right!
And Wednesday’s change appears to double down on that philosophy, and it’s an opportunity for Facebook to clearly state its “News Feed values” in the wake of the recent controversy over how it has silenced conservative voices over liberal ones over how Facebook curates its Trending Topics.
In a statement, Mosseri says that Facebook’s News Feed “does not favor particular sources — or ideas.”
The change aims to serve that purpose even better, offering more of the stories that each of its 1.6 billion users want to see and, of course, encouraging them to spend more time on Facebook.
Exactly how this will affect brands and publishers is not yet fully clear, but for them, one thing has certainly not changed: When it comes to content, Facebook Share is king.
