Facebook to Restructure Main Feed: Implications for Video Content in 2022

Fb lately introduced a restructuring of its major feed for all of its customers. The announcement got here after a leaked inside memo that exposed very short-term plans to construction the feed round video content material like Fb Reels and Tales.

Naturally, this improvement has main implications for video content material all through the broader internet, and it could place Fb in a greater spot for video content material competitors with social media platforms like TikTok. As we speak, let’s break down the implications of Fb’s major feed restructuring for video content material all through the Web.

What Is Fb Doing?

The leaked inside memo primarily said that Fb needs to show the primary feed—a cornerstone of social media interplay and one of many platform’s flagship options—right into a “video discovery engine.” In a nutshell, the concept is to make the feed rather more usable and dynamic for customers in search of out new and interesting video content material.

Head of Fb Tom Alison said within the leaked memo that Fb needs to “flip Fb into a spot the place folks can go and get suggestions” for video content material they get pleasure from or are prone to get pleasure from based mostly on algorithmic predictions.

In essence, this may flip Fb into a spot the place video content material might be really helpful to customers extra continuously, even when it comes from folks customers don’t know or acknowledge.

What’s the change? On the time of this writing, Fb prioritizes content material that’s revealed, created, or shared by consumer connections, like family and friends members. It’s a distinction that units Fb other than platforms resembling TikTok and even Instagram (which is itself owned by Fb).

However the change to Fb’s major feed will make the platform rather more dynamic and interesting for individuals who wish to scroll endlessly on social media and discover new, humorous, or in any other case compelling video clips.

Why Is Fb Doing This?

The restructuring alone is a vital improvement, however understanding the enterprise causes behind Fb’s determination can also be essential. In keeping with the leaked inside memo, Fb has three near-term priorities that the feed restructuring ought to assist accomplish:

• Make Fb Reels extra profitable: Presently, Reels is seen as a lesser model of Instagram Tales or TikTok’s video discovery function. However this restructuring may make Reels a real competitor within the video content-sharing house and generate extra natural visitors.
• Construct higher advice know-how: In concept, this may feed into the remainder of Fb’s algorithmic and advice targets, which frequently focus round sending higher ads to customers.
• Unlock message-based sharing: Social media customers are extra continuously each sharing and discovering content material by way of Fb Messenger as an alternative of doing so publicly on the primary feed. Fairly than counteract this development, Fb needs to lean into it and make it simpler for customers to share content material by way of its varied messaging apps.

All in all, it’s clear that Fb considers this feed restructuring push to be an vital component of the platform’s development and evolution, particularly within the extra crowded promote it now finds itself in.

How Will the Fb Feed Work?

Fb’s new feed will bear visible and purposeful modifications. In concept, the brand new Fb could have:

1. A major “tab,” which is able to function a mix of Reels and Tales on the prime of the display. This could enable customers to immediately and simply entry participating video pop-ups.
2. “Discovery Engine” suggestions beneath the primary tab. These might be powered by algorithms from Fb and Instagram. In keeping with Alison’s leaked inside memo, the ensuing expertise might be visible and video-heavy, with straightforward prompts and buttons to ship video content material to buddies.
3. Every consumer’s Messenger inbox on the prime right-hand nook of the app. Notably, this may go in opposition to Fb’s prior determination to separate each Fb itself and Fb Messenger as separate purposes, which occurred eight years in the past.

So, in abstract, Fb’s new feed will:

• Be extra visual-heavy
• Make it simpler for customers to share video content material
• Focus much less on text-based content material on the primary feed

It’s powerful to say whether or not this modification might be fashionable with customers or whether or not it can roll out efficiently in any respect. Once more, Fb’s major feed is a staple side of the platform for a lot of, and this might scale back belief within the social media big. However this modification will undeniably shift the way in which folks understand Fb and the way it operates as a social media big.

When Will Fb Implement These Adjustments?

On the time of this writing, it isn’t but identified when Fb will absolutely transition to a so-called “discovery engine.” Nevertheless, the leaked inside memo from Alison feels like the corporate needs to make the change sooner quite than later to coincide with different Metaverse-related developments.

That is no shock, given the meteoric rise of platforms like TikTok. Fb has been lagging behind many social media platforms over the previous couple of years. The corporate might consider that pivoting right into a video-first content material platform will assist Fb rise to its former prominence or compete extra straight with new and up-and-coming social media firms.

Be looking out for this Fb feed change all through 2022.

The Impact on Video Content material Throughout the Net

Extra broadly, Fb’s feed restructuring effort might have purposes for video content material shared all through the broader Web. For instance, content material creators might attempt to make much more brief movies and “clippable” content material now that Fb is getting in on the brief video content material craze. We’re already seeing this with firms like YouTube introducing brief video codecs referred to as “Shorts.”

Moreover, we’d see a decline in sharing movies over platforms like YouTube general. As an alternative, customers may share their movies by way of Fb or its Messenger app straight.

Time will inform what the implications and long-term results of Fb’s new feed might be. The brand new feed hasn’t launched but, however you possibly can relaxation assured that it’ll make waves within the Web’s content material ocean as soon as it splashes down.