Anyone who’s ever used Facebook has wondered: “what’s the deal with News Feed? Why do I see some posts and not others? Why do Uncle Ted’s photos from Tanzania pop up first? Granted, not everyone has an Uncle Ted, but everyone has experienced this sentiment. Facebook is mysterious. Nancy Drew would have her hands full with the case of the Facebook algorithm. Until now.
Facebook announced it will share why we see each post in our news feed. Maybe the reason why you see Luke’s photos is because he checks out your profile. But, then again, maybe it’s just because you stalk him. Well, now we have an answer. According to Facebook, a budding romance may very well be a reason why you see Luke’s posts. (If this doesn’t make your inner preteen heart swell, you’re lying). Facebook’s new “why am I seeing this” feature identifies three main factors that help determine the contents of your news feed: 1) who you regularly interact with, 2) the media type of the post, and 3) the relative popularity of the post thus far. So re: Luke? If you two regularly interact on the platform, the stars might be aligned.
The update also applies to Facebook advertising. The app will share information such as when the advertiser uploaded the ad, and if the advertiser worked with a marketing partner to run the ad. So what does this mean for the big picture? You’ll be able to understand and more directly control what you see on your feed. Cheers to Facebook for giving the power to the people.
