F8 is Facebook’s annual look inside the business with an emphasis on unveiling new products and ideas. The event just wrapped up and marketers are still buzzing about all the cool ideas Facebook shared.
Here are 5 new features we think could deliver big results for thought leaders and brands.
1) INSTANT ARTICLES – Instant articles were opened up to all users on April 12. This feature will allow articles to load faster with images and video, plus a full suite of interactive options. Instant Articles will get higher play in the Facebook newsfeed, and according to Facebook, Instant Articles are shared more frequently and have a higher read rate. Buffer has a great guide for setting up Instant Articles. This is one option thought leaders will want to utilize immediately.
2) SAVE BUTTON -Curated content is an important part of any social strategy but it can often take multiple tools, plus quite a bit of time, to find the right articles to share-enter the Facebook SAVE button. This handy-dandy button will allow you to save anything you see on the web to Facebook and view it (or post it) later.
3) QUOTE SHARING – Everybody wants a little inspiration, but it’s a clunky copy and paste to share your favorite quotes on Facebook. Well, not anymore. This feature allows you to quickly share quotes from books, articles and sites on the web. Right now, it’s only available on the Amazon Kindle, but it’s coming soon to laptops and mobiles.
4) PROFILE EXPRESSION KIT -Facebook is squarely taking aim at SnapChat with this fun new feature. You can currently upload a profile video but this kit will allow you to further customize your video with apps including Boomerang, BeautyPlus and Vine. It’s a great way to connect authentically with your audience and really show some personality. It’s in beta testing right now.
5) MESSENGER BOTS – Facebook is putting a lot of emphasis on its messenger app and is now opening its messenger bots up for all businesses. These bots will allow brands and companies to communicate with their audience in new ways including creating automated messages and handling e-commerce.
Some of these new features are available now, some will be rolled out over the course of the year, but all could further enhance Facebook’s value to brands and thought leaders…and maybe, just maybe get those millennials back on the ‘book.
While these are a few of the highlights we’re excited about, Mark Zuckerberg and team unveiled some other really cool ideas. Oculus Rift, anyone? You can watch highlights of F8 and Zuckerberg’s keynote here and here.
Which new features are you most excited to try?
Image credit: 123rf/Varin Rattanaburi
Christy Kirk, Vice President of Client Services, is a social media strategist, writer, and former television journalist, who’s done everything from launch a news department to create social content and strategy for Fortune 500 companies and brands including Pampers Diapers, Pantene, Luvs Diapers and Carlson Rezidor Hotels. Now, Christy manages marketing projects for Weaving Influence, with an emphasis on social media marketing. She is also a wife and mother of three children, one dog, and one cat. She loves reading, baking, running, hiking and exploring new places.