By now, it’s highly likely that you’ve experienced the vast changes that have taken place on Facebook.
From the ticker to the Timeline (user profile), the changes were elaborate and have (surprisingly) not been as heavily balked as previous occasions.
One additional change, and this one is a biggie, has to do with photos.
Facebook has updated the thumbnail size of photos in the News Feed, to a point where they are eye catching and engaging. The change now makes posts that contain photos stand out much more than updates with no photo.
With that said, I personally think the days of simple text updates for brands are coming to a close (or limited).
Yes, you can still do text updates to communicate a message, but know that you’re missing out on the chance of standing out among the clutter . . . and gaining added weight in Facebook’s News Feed algorithm.
Here’s a recent example from Ketchum’s Facebook page.
Ketchum was honored by PR News as one of the “Top Places to Work in PR” (and that’s awesome!), but instead of just doing a standard text update, we opted to include an image in the post.
By adding an image, the update stands out in the News Feed and has a much higher likelihood of attracting attention. (You’ll also note images are now larger on brand pages as well.)
On the contrary, had we just posted the text update, we’d have ended up with what you see directly above.
Hopefully, after comparing the two, you’ll agree that including photos in Facebook updates is a new best practice.
And if you aren’t fully convinced, pull up your Facebook account and take note of what stands out when you look at your News Feed.
Have fun with the new changes and finding creative ways to continue to stand out.
