Changes Are Coming to Facebook
We recently shared possible new updates to Twitter. Then Google updated its algorithm keeping marketers on their toes and demanding fresh content to stay relevant in the eyes of such a powerful internet tool. Here we are again with yet more updates coming to another key player in the social media realm – Facebook. Hop over to Facebook’s company info page and you’ll see just how active users worldwide are within this popular social media site:
968 million daily active users on average- 49 billion monthly active users
- 72% of all internet users are active on Facebook
- 62% of the entire adult population are active users
- 82% of active users are 18-29 years old
- 79% of active users are 30-49 years old
- 78% of active users make $75,000 or more annually
- 66% of active users make $50,000 – $74,999 annually
These statistics give us a glimpse of the sheer magnitude of the reach Facebook has worldwide. So whenever Facebook has a change…businesses, marketers and advertisers alike should pay attention! Social media has become quite an integral part of helping businesses generate brand awareness and since it’s ever-evolving, it only seems fitting that we stay on top of the changes that could either help or cause us some trouble (remember that time Facebook changed their algorithm to filter “relevant content” on consumer’s newsfeeds? It can be frustrating we know, but we don’t make the rules; we just try to help our clients get through the best we can!). Here are some new upcoming Facebook changes to look out for:
Mobile Profiles
Facebook reported as of June 2015 there are currently 844 million mobile daily active users and 1.31 billion monthly active users worldwide. With the mobile social media community showing no signs of slowing down, Facebook has always actively sought ways to test new features to their profiles. Sure someone may Google another person to get the inside scoop on them, but the first place a consumer is likely to head is to Facebook to see what you’re really about. Facebook has a much more laid back tone than say LinkedIn and Google+ so it allows businesses to express their uniqueness through photos, videos, links, storytelling and more. One such change Facebook is testing is called profile videos. What this allows is users to create 7 second looping video clips that automatically start playing when another user goes to a specific Facebook profile page. Some argue that this new concept is a way to add “flair” to a profile so that they aren’t as static as they have been in previous years. To up their design appeal, Facebook also moved profile pictures to stand out more by placing them at the center of the page versus offset to the left. If you haven’t noticed the update yet, next time you log into Facebook check out your profile and see if you notice a flashing icon with a video and a camera that rotate to give you the option of what to display. Use these new updates to keep your content fresh and get creative so your current and potential customers will want to come back to see more.
The Dislike Button
How can you tell if your customers are really digging your company and what it has to say on Facebook? Just check out the number of likes, shares and views your posts get. The like button has always been a silent sort of affirmation that you’re doing something right and ever since its introduction, users have wanted the option of a dislike button. Ladies and gentleman, it may finally be happening. The reason for delaying a dislike button was originally to discourage negativity among the community of users, so the alternative is to introduce reaction emojis to show a range of emotions to a particular post. From like, love, haha, yay, wow, sad and angry, Facebook is hoping to avoid hurting users and instead giving them ways to show other forms of empathy. There’s no word on how this will be factored into tracking and overall Facebook engagement, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye out for when testing is finalized and if/when this feature is officially launched.
Surprisingly enough these aren’t the only changes Facebook has been busy working on; this only covers a small fraction of the new features Facebook has purportedly been testing and proposing to release in the near future. In our next feature, we’ll share some of the important changes that will be coming to business profile pages and ways they can be beneficial to increasing your presence on social media. In the meantime, stay connected with McCauley Marketing Services on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for more of the latest on social media updates.