Facebook Newsfeed Changes

Written on 07/18/16 10:00 PM

What did Facebook change on their Newsfeed?

Facebook is getting back to basics. Recently, the social media giant announced that it is tweaking its algorithm so that users see less content and ads shared by publishers and brands, and more posts from friends and family. This core principle is why Facebook got into the social media ecosystem in the first place. Publishers and advertisers are anxiously awaiting what it will mean for them. RPM is predicting that publishers will be the most affected as many have become reliant on Facebook as a major distribution channel.

Why did they make this change to their algorithm?

Facebook is constantly changing their algorithms and oftentimes they do not announce these tweaks to advertisers, publishers, or the public.

On the Facebook business marketing page, the company explains why it made these changes. “One of the main reasons people come to Facebook is to see what’s happening in their News Feeds. Our goal with News Feed has always been to show people the things they want to see. When people see content that’s relevant to them, they’re more likely to be engaged with News Feed, including stories from businesses.

“That’s why we often look to people on Facebook to tell us how we can improve. As part of an ongoing survey, we asked hundreds of thousands of people how they feel about the content in their News Feeds. People told us they wanted to see more stories from friends and pages they care about, and less promotional content.”

Without people constantly checking their Newsfeed because they aren’t getting what they want, Facebook doesn’t have an audience. And if Facebook doesn’t have an audience, it doesn’t have a product to sell. Keeping people happy is priority #1.

Below is a rough calculation of how the Newsfeed algorithm works:

What will change for consumers and businesses?

Consumers will start to see more posts from friends and family instead of news or pieces of content. Facebook is returning to its core principle of connecting the entire world, and if you can’t see posts from your friends and family, how can you make meaningful connections?

Facebook is also making significant investments to Business Pages. They are building in more features, enhancements, and customization. These changes will improve the consumer’s experience with individual businesses and make them more meaningful and robust. Facebook Business Pages have become an extension of companies’ websites and are often a substitute for having a site.

What will this mean for advertisers?

Many news outlets and advertising industry trades are saying that these changes will not affect PAID ads; those will remain a part of the News Feed. Where this will be most prevalent is the organic reach to people who are fans of a brand or publisher page. Facebook has stated that all pages that post promotional content will see their organic distribution fall significantly over time. Paid ads will now become even more important to both advertisers and publishers. In order to ensure reach and distribution, all posts must be boosted and all ads must have significant budgets.

Stay tuned for more updates from Facebook, you can be sure more tweaks and algorithm changes are coming down the line!