The look and feel of Facebook 's News Feed is getting a major overhaul. The social networking giant said the new design will emphasize content from your friends and the brands you've liked with larger and more vibrant photos, articles, videos, events and maps.
Additional updates include a left-hand navigation menu and new feeds. The feeds will allow users to view specific types of content that is most important to them. These include feeds from all friends, music, photos, games and specific lists of people or brands a user follows.
The new look will be consistent across Facebook whether you access it through a mobile device or the web. The redesign is only visual, Facebook said, meaning the algorithm that determines the content that people see and when they see it will not be changed.
As a business owner, these News Feed changes represent an opportunity to more visually represent your brand on Facebook. Here is how you can take advantage of the new News Feed look:
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1. Be more visual.
Facebook users tend to respond better to visual content in the News Feed. You can now increase engagement with your brand by posting more visually appealing content that will be larger and more vibrant.
2. Make sure your ads are in News Feeds.
If you're advertising on Facebook, ensure your ads are getting into the News Feed. They too will be more rich, vibrant and engaging.
3. Get discovered.
Another new feature is the "Following" feed, which collects and displays all content from friends you're connected to and brands you've liked in chronological order. This means that your fans now have a place where they can see all of the content you publish.
4. Have an eye-catching cover photo.
Whenever you add a new friend or like a new restaurant, for example, you'll see the cover photo for that person or that business's page appear in the News Feed. According to Facebook, this change is designed to provide more context about your Page, so make sure the photo is eye-catching and visually representative of your Page.
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These changes will be rolling out over the next few weeks, first on the web and then followed by mobile. Those who are interested in getting early access can sign up for a waiting list.
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