Facebook updates are well-known for sparking enormous controversy among the social networking service’s vast pool of avid users.
Users especially tend to fly off the handle when they log in one day only to discover that the layout is entirely different, making it that bit harder to find out what so-and-so’s having for breakfast today and what outrageous time Whatshisface stayed up until playing GTA V.
After a crash course lasting approximately five minutes, of course, the problem is all but resolved and the short-lived acclimatisation period comes to an end.
Fervent Facebook users may not own to it, but change can be good – and here’s why.
News feed ads algorithm
The social media giant has announced in the Facebook Newsroom that its engineers are currently “working on some updates” to the news feed adverts algorithm in a bid to improve the relevance and quality of the ads people see.
More of an emphasis is being placed on the feedback received from users about the ads that garnish their news feed, including how often an ad is reported or hidden.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that the most relevant ads are being delivered, which brings palpable advantages for users.
This is also better for marketers because it means their ads are tailored to people who actually want to see them and have an interest in the products and services being offered.
Relevant content – what’s all the fuss about?
Relevant content is compelling. Relevant content is engaging, interesting and has something to offer readers.
Right content, right people, right time
Creating relevant content is the best way to capture the attention of a reader, who will generally only click onto content that looks like it is helpful or valuable in some way.
Tailoring your content to a certain audience also vastly improves the effectiveness of an advertising or content marketing campaign by targeting people who have a genuine interest in the field in which you operate.
Facebook adapts to stay relevant
That’s why Facebook made more changes to its news feed algorithms earlier this month, including Story Bumping and Last Actor.
Story Bumping displays older stories that a user might have missed, based on previous likes and interactions.
Last Actor uses real time signals to determine which stories should be shown in a user’s news feed i.e. tracking the last 50 interactions completed by a user in order to rank stories in a particular news feed.
These changes are designed to make sure the right content is delivered to the right people at the right time – what more could anyone want?