Facebook's News Feed is a constantly evolving, hotly contested space. And it's about to become more crowded as Facebook announced it will give preference to articles from news media over personal status updates.
All the news that's fit to Like
Facebook made the announcement on Monday in a blog post.
“People use Facebook to share and connect, including staying current on the latest news, whether it's about their favourite celebrity or what's happening in the world.
“We've noticed that people enjoy seeing articles on Facebook, and so we're now paying closer attention to what makes for high quality content, and how often articles are clicked on from News Feed on mobile.
“What this means is that you may start to notice links to articles a little more often (particularly on mobile),” wrote Facebook engineering manager Varun Kacholia and software engineer Minwen Ji.
News Feed frenzy
The post went on to explain that Facebook research reveals that users prefer links to quality articles about current events, sports teams and shared interests.
Once a user clicks on a news article, Facebook will now display links to related articles. Once news articles are read they won't appear again in the News Feed, unless they attract comments from the user's Facebook friends.
Twitter take down?
The move is a big step for Facebook, and a not so subtle move to gain a foothold in the breaking news ground, territory Twitter has traditionally ruled.
The tide may be turning – a recent report found that referral traffic from Facebook to media sites has increased by over 170 per cent in 2013.
If Facebook can woo news junkies over from Twitter, it might open up a new audience segment (and a healthy stable of media advertisers) to the social network.
To find out more visit newsroom.fb.com.
If you enjoyed this article then subscribe FREE to the twice weekly SMK Digital Bulletin, click here now or visit www.smk.net.au/subscribe.
Also, click here download a FREE Social Media Policy Research Paper – worth $495. This FREE in-depth 17 page paper features insights from both communications and legal experts at the likes of: National Australia Bank (NAB), Edelman, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Social@Ogilvy, SMK – Social Media Knowledge, The Victorian Electoral Commission. Or visit www.smk.net.au/downloads for details.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Instagram Introduces Trial Reels for Creative Testing
Instagram has introduced Trial Reels, a feature designed to…
Instagram has introduced Trial Reels, a feature designed to…
LinkedIn Culls Community Top Voices (Gold Badge)
In a move that could reshape how professionals engage…
In a move that could reshape how professionals engage…
TikTok Expands Search Ad Campaigns
TikTok has made a significant move into the world…
TikTok has made a significant move into the world…