Beware users and marketers! Another Facebook News Feed update is on its way. Why “beware”? Well, because Facebook has started asking its users what they want to see on their homepage, apparently.
Also Read: No More #FOMO: Facebook Optimises NewsFeed To Match Network Speed
According to a post on Facebook’s official blog, the social network and its engineers are looking into the reasons why people like, comment or share stories. These very factors, are the ones that have the most significance, when it comes to determining what’s worth appearing on a user’s Timeline or not.
For the past few weeks, Facebook has been conducting a series of surveys among thousands of its users. With some simple questions, Facebook’s engineers are determining whether they have the right stories appearing at the right rank on people’s News Feeds, or if there’s more room for improvement and customisation.
Of particular interest is the fact that the main reasons for posts going viral remains largely unknown, even for the world’s biggest social network. It’s true; we see all types of content going viral for no apparent reason. From hoaxes to breaking news, a lot of posts get traction, with many people NOT interested in seeing them at all.
Yes, viral posts can be a tricky business and that’s why Facebook wants your help. Throughout the course of the next weeks, Facebook will start asking its users whether they prefer one viral post over another. If people say that they are not particularly interested in the specific viral story, then it will land lower on people’s newsfeed.
Of course, if users claim that the viral story is of genuine interest to them, then its ranking will remain untouched. Maybe time will finally reveal the factors that make viral stories go viral, and we will get one step closer to the perfect, bespoke, News Feed.
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