How To Stay Ahead Of Facebook's Recent News Feed Algorithm Changes

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Facebook recently announced several changes to its News Feed algorithm focusing on “improving the integrity of information” you can find on the platform. So, to make sure that Page admins know how to keep reaching their audiences, Facebook has announced several “guideposts” to help.

Facebook‘s goal for News Feed is to connect people with the right stories – the ones they care about. As such, recent News Feed algorithm changes targeting announced several updates to News Feed which are specifically focused on improving the information it surfaces for its users. Facebook explains that it is “targeting misinformation, sensationalism, clickbait and posts that fall outside of our Community Standards.”

People On Facebook Value Meaningful, Informative Stories

People want to see meaningful stories in their feed – and by this we mean ones they “consider informative.” And this is up to them to decide, of course. Facebook‘s VP, News Feed, Adam Mosseri explains

[quote]We are not in the business of picking which issues the world should read about, but we are in the business of connecting people with the stories they find most meaningful. [/quote]

It is up to publishers to “create meaningful and informative stories,” that people will find interesting. Facebook explains meaningful and informative as such:

Meaningful: Facebook ranks News Feed by looking at how many personal signals it has (how much it means to users) but also universal signals like engagement etc. So publishers should focus on gaining a good understanding of their audience and what they find meaningful.

Publishers should focus on understanding audiences they want to reach, creating meaningful content.

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Informative: One of Facebook’s News Feed values is that is should “informative,” as people value informative stories. However, this differs from person to person and Facebook is always trying to understand what is informative for each an every one of us.

[quote]Publishers should focus on creating content their audiences will find new, interesting, and informative.[/quote]

People On Facebook Value Accurate, Authentic Content

People want to see accurate information on Facebook and so does Facebook. Authentic stories resonate most, an so Facebook is always working hard to understand what people see as genuine. The company also works “to understand what kinds of stories people find misleading, sensational and spammy, to make sure people see those less.” So, publishers should always focus on posting accurate and authentic content.

Publishers on Facebook should use clear headlines, and stay away from sharing spam.

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Clear headlines: Tempted to write a vague clickbait-y headline? Don’t. Facebook tends to penalise “headlines that exaggerate or sensationalise the article to create misleading expectations.”

Spam: Tempted to try out a new trick to “game” News Feed, to get more distribution? Don’t. Facebook penalises Pages that try to do so.

Accurate information: Facebook takes misinformation very seriously as it harms the community and erodes information on the platform. It also “makes the world less informed.” Try to stay ahead, by sharing accurate information.

People On Facebook Value Standards for Safe, Respectful Behavior

As Facebook is a “community of people,” its Community Standards should be taken seriously. They “reflect […] collective values for what should and should not be allowed on the platform.” Publishers should definitely follow Facebook’s Community Standards.

Keeping you safe: Facebook removes content, disables accounts, and works with law enforcement when it believes there is a genuine risk of physical harm or direct threats to public safety.

Encouraging respectful behavior: Facebook may limit audiences or remove them when some sensitive content is shown. This includes nudity, hate speech, violence and graphic content.