SOCIAL
Facebook Adds New Page Follow Settings to Control Which Updates You See
Facebook is looking to give users more control over the specific posts and updates they see from each Page they choose to follow, with a new listing of advanced Page follow options appearing for some users.
As you can see in this screenshot, posted by @AkramAlodini (and shared by social media commentator Matt Navarra), Facebook now provides a range of specific following options for a Page.
Users can now follow either all updates from the Page, or a selection of:
- Posts – Highlights, all updates or none
- Videos – Highlights, all or none
- Live Videos – All or none
- Offers – Option to switch offer posts on or off
That means that, technically, a user could choose to follow a Page and only get alerts about, say, any new offers they post.
Which, of course, further dilutes the actual Page Like count. Facebook is also working on a new business Page design which removes Like counts entirely, replacing them with a total Followers count instead (right image below).
That’s a more accurate indicator of actual Page reach, and these new following options once again lessen the potential relevance of Like counts. Though really, what counts as a follower, given these options, could also be questionable.
The general understanding is that someone who’s chosen to follow a Page will see at least most of their posts (and all if they choose to make it a favorite). But if users can further narrow that down to specific elements, it also might not be a great indicator of actual Page reach.
Either way, it’s an interesting consideration, and may help you re-assess your Facebook strategies in line with how users can choose to get your updates.
Maybe you want to consider posting more offers specifically for those seeking just those alerts, or you could let your followers know about the new settings they can use, which could help them get more relevant updates from your Page. That could then increase engagement with your updates, improve reach, etc.
There’s no word on whether these options are available to all as yet – we’ve asked Facebook for more info and will update if/when we hear back.