Facebook Announces Major Changes: What You Need to Know

Facebook and Instagram announced major changes to the platforms.

At Facebook’s annual developer conference today, Mark Zuckerberg announced a sweeping platform overhaul. The goal is to shift the platform away from being the “town square” to a hub of meaningful, private communication. Facebook's mobile app and desktop redesign will now emphasis private and group-based interactions. The redesign will also shift away from the public Newsfeed setup that has been central to the platform from day one.

The redesign will start rolling out immediately on mobile. It’s safe to say that Facebook is going to change in a big way in the months to come. So what does this mean for you, as a user and as a professional? Here’s what we know so far.  

What’s changing?

According to Zuckerberg’s presentation, pretty much everything. Facebook’s overhaul will shift away from the Newsfeed and push the focus to Stories, Groups, messaging, and other more private forms of communication. The new design moves Stories to a prominent placement at the top of the feed. Groups, Contacts, and Events are all highlighted as well. Facebook stated that this redesign on the mobile app will begin rolling out immediately. You can check out photos of the redesign and watch Zuck’s presentation here. 

Why is it changing?

Facebook’s Newsfeed is their main source of data (and ad revenue) but it’s also their biggest source of problems. With mounting concerns over user data, advertising ethics, fake news, and the effect of social media on our overall health, the Newsfeed’s fundamental setup is an issue. Users (and lawmakers) are demanding that social media shift towards meaningful interactions rather than passive scrolling. Users are also overwhelmingly calling for better data protection and opt-out options.  Facebook hopes that by shifting the focus away from the Newsfeed, users’ time on the platform will lessen, but also be more valuable.  

You mentioned Instagram?

Yep, and it's a big one. Instagram is also facing a major change. Beginning last week, rumors popped up that Instagram was testing hiding Like counts. The platform is often criticized for its impact on users’ self esteem, given that Like and follower counts are equated with success. During Facebook’s event yesterday, it was also confirmed that IG is officially testing a like-less feed. Users can still like and comment on posts, and page owners will be able to see who liked their content. But when users scroll through their feed, they will no longer see how many people liked other posts. IG also recently rolled out a redesign to account profiles, which drastically de-emphasized follower counts.

What does this mean for me?

As a user, these changes will fundamentally change how we use Facebook’s apps. Ideally, you’ll spend less wasted time scrolling through content in your Newsfeed and will instead use these platforms to interact with people, places, and organizations you care about. 

For businesses, this means that the Newsfeed (and therefore traditional posting) will become far less useful. Start planning now for stronger Stories use, since the shifting focus will make Stories content far more valuable. 

Groups is another place to start focusing your energy. Groups are a great way to create a community around similar interests. 

Finally, Facebook’s advertising options are going to see serious change with this redesign. The Newsfeed has long been the source of Facebook’s monolithic advertising empire. Features like Stories and Messaging advertising are already available, and these areas will likely grow in popularity and importance for businesses.

You can also expect continuing efforts to improve the handling of user data through tighter advertising rules. We covered Facebook’s changes to how their targeting tools can be used within the real estate industry last month. You can bet that these kinds of policies will continue to roll out as the platform works to improve user data protections.

Bottom Line

Facebook and Instagram are changing - hopefully for the better - which means businesses like yours need to start planning now. Start adjusting your mindset from, "How can I get my ads and content in front of lots of people" to "How can I build a community around my brand." 

Trust us, this a major adjustment for us too! But let’s all hope that in the end, it’s for the better.