Facebook introduced an entirely new look for its popular news feed feature Thursday. The new design features larger, more vibrant stories that will change the way photos, links, maps, and events are displayed in the feed.
The updates to news feed are completely visual in nature. These visual updates will bring Facebook closer to a unified look—no matter which device a person is using. The new updates will also include the option to let users sort stories in the feed by specific topics—including the brands and users they follow. The algorithm for displaying stories and ads is not changing, but the visual changes will effect how brands are seen in the feed.Here are the three things brand marketers should be doing as Facebook rolls out the revamped news feed design over the next couple of months:
- Implement high standards for visuals. Statistics already show that highly visual stories in the news feed increase user engagement. With the new updates to news feed, visual stories will become an even larger part of the Facebook experience. Brands should ensure that any visual content being posted to Facebook is of high quality and meets the brand’s visual standards.
- Revamp your cover photo. When “Like” stories come through the redesigned news feed—paid or organic—a brand’s cover photo will be the main asset users see. The new feature should allow brands to provide more information about themselves in the feed. Brands should take advantage of this change by making sure their cover photo is eye-catching, and visually representative of the brand.
- Take advantage of the “Following” feed. A new filter alongside the news feed will allow users to see stories from the brands and users they follow in chronological order. Because users who look at this feed will see all brand posts, attention should be paid to the quality and uniqueness of each story a brand posts to Facebook.
The updated news feed should be a big improvement for users and brands alike. Users now have more control over the stories they see, and don’t have to search through a cluttered news feed to get what they want. This should translate to more user engagement on the platform, which for brands, means more opportunities to connect.
The post What Facebook’s Revamped News Feed Means for Brands. appeared first on Wire Tap.