SOCIAL
Meta Launches Updated Facebook Feed Format, Moving it More into Line With TikTok
Your Facebook feed is getting an update, which, at least in theory, could make it easier to find content from friends and family, while also enabling Meta to show you more recommended content, with a focus on video posts.
As you can see in this video, posted by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s main UI will now be split into a ‘Home’ feed, which will primarily focus on recommended content to keep you entertained, while you’ll also have a new ‘Feeds’ tab, where you’ll be able to view the latest posts in different categories, including ‘Favorites’, ‘Friends’, ‘Groups’, etc.
The move shifts the Facebook experience more into line with TikTok, which calls itself an ‘entertainment app’, not a social network.
TikTok’s main ‘For You’ feed sucks in the best, most engaging content from across the app, aligned to your interests, which makes it a much more compelling stream, as it’s not restricted by your connections or your own social graph. Meta’s now trying to latch onto the same – but do Facebook users really want a TikTok-esque experience with Facebook content?
As you can see here, over the next few weeks, you’ll likely see a new prompt like this in the app, alerting you to the new experience.
That essentially gives Facebook license to show you whatever it thinks you’ll like in your main feed, as you can find your friends and Pages you follow in the other tabs.
So you can expect to see a lot more video content in your main FB feed – which Zuckerberg says will provide the best of both worlds:
“One of the most requested features for Facebook is to make sure people don’t miss friends’ posts. So today we’re launching a Feeds tab where you can see posts from your friends, groups, Pages and more separately in chronological order. The app will still open to a personalized feed on the Home tab, where our discovery engine will recommend the content we think you’ll care most about. But the Feeds tab will give you a way to customize and control your experience further.”
See, it’s not about Facebook showing you more content from across the app to keep you engaged, it’s for you, to make it easier to find the content you like.
I don’t think anyone’s buying that description, but it just might work, with TikTok already showing that recommended content is more compelling than your own chosen streams, and that by sourcing your top posts from the biggest possible pool, that gives you more capacity to maximize entertainment value.
I’m just not sure that’s what people come to Facebook for, nor what they actually want from the app. Over time, Facebook has become the place to get the latest updates from friends and family, with brand and Page posts spicing up your feed. Most people now check in with Facebook each day to ensure that they don’t miss any key updates, but then switch to other apps for entertainment throughout the day.
That, of course, means that people end up spending a lot more time in other apps than they do on The Social Network, which is what Facebook’s trying to address. But again, do people really want to scroll through the latest, most popular videos in their main Facebook feed – and do people really want to have to switch tabs in the app to get the latest updates from friends and family?
I’d hazard a guess that they don’t, on either front. But we’ll soon find out, with Meta making a commitment to the new approach, and going with a full launch straight up, as opposed to a test.
For brands, too, that could also be problematic, as users will have to switch to a separate feed to see your updates.
That could see your post reach decline yet again – which seems almost impossible, given most Pages are seeing single digit % reach.
But, as Ian Malcolm once said, ‘life finds a way’. In this case, it’s Facebook that’s found a new way – and I’m not sure it’s the way that people will really want to see it go.
The update is being rolled out on both iOS and Android from today.
SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
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