Facebook announced that they have made a few alterations to their news feed algorithm. One of the most notable tweaks made is that Facebook is soon going to penalise websites that are not mobile friendly.  They are really focusing on improving the experience for users of the social network, so sites that take too long to load and that doesn’t work well on mobile are going to be pushed down in the ranking. If your site isn’t mobile friendly we do recommend that you optimise it as soon as possible.

Videos Autoplay with Sound on Facebook

That’s not all. Facebook has made another adjustment that has already taken effect. All videos on the News Feed now play automatically, with sound.  You may have seen a notification from Facebook about this update on your mobile. The move has been made in order to make it easier for users to enjoy the videos being shared on the platform.  The sound will play and users can alter the sound level by using the volume icon in the right-hand corner of the video. However, users can go into their preferences to turn off the sound if they so desire (recommended for anyone who browses Facebook in bed!).

This feature might not prove to be popular as 85% of Facebook users like to watch videos without sound. If you use video marketing on Facebook we recommend that you continue to use captions in order to reach the widest audience possible.

Duel User Instagram Live

Instagram has launched a new feature that lets you go live with a friend. The broadcast will be broadcast with a split screen, so viewers can see both participants at the same time. It’s also possible to save a recording of the live broadcasts that you make, allowing you to share them on your Instagram Story at a later time. It’s also useful for reviewing purposes, helping you to see areas that may need tweaking for your next broadcast.

What do you think of these changes? Will you be making use of these features in your digital marketing strategies?