Facebook Adds New "Explore Feed"
Facebook has added a new feed to its ever-growing list of functions. The new Explore Feed has been around on mobile devices for a little while but it has just started being rolled out to the desktop version of the popular social media platform.
So, What is the Explore Feed?
The Explore Feed is essentially an alternative to the News Feed that you first see when you get onto Facebook. The Explore Feed is not a direct replacement for the News Feed and you have to manually select the Explore Feed if you want to view it.
The Explore Feed allows you to see content that you are interested in from different pages that you haven't connected with, essentially it lets you explore. The feed is created by Algorithms which take into account what you interact with and look at. This then builds a tailored feed that should be full of content that you will enjoy and like to look at.
Why has Facebook Created this New Feed?
Facebook have been experimenting, making changes and putting a lot of effort into encouraging marketers to create specific and exclusive content that would be perfect for this kind of channel. They want to keep content and users on Facebook rather than content that leads a user to another place such as their company website etc.
Basically, Facebook wants businesses to create content specifically for their Facebook pages that stays on Facebook and doesn't lead elsewhere.
Facebook released this statement regarding the rollout of the new "Explore feed" to the desktop version of the platform:
"We are beginning to roll out a complementary feed of popular articles, videos, and photos, automatically customized for each person based on content that might be interesting to them. We've heard from people that they want an easy way to explore relevant content from Pages they haven't connected with yet."
What Does this Mean for Marketers?
As this is not a direct replacement for the original news feed it shouldn't have much effect on marketers. We are sure there would be a lot of complaints if users started seeing content from pages within their feed that they hadn't asked to see and therefore it is extremely unlikely that this feed will ever replace the original news feed.
However, this feed will continue to encourage marketers to create bespoke content for their pages in order to receive higher organic views, and therefore in the future, you are likely to see a lot more tailored content made exclusively for Facebook pages.
As of yet paid adverts are yet to appear on this feed and so it is entirely based on Algorithms around what you as an individual like.
The desktop launch of the Explore Feed is still in its earlier stages and therefore the possibilities and benefits of this feed are not 100% clear yet. It is likely to evolve and progress as users get to terms with it. This will certainly be a feed to keep your eye on in the future as a marketer to help increase organic reach beyond that of your page likes without having to spend any money. As always when it comes to social media, great content is key to attracting the right target audience.
If you would like more information on any of the above or would like help with your Social Media Marketing call 01934 643961 or email info@equinoxmarketing.co.uk