Facebook has rolled out a new prototype, following in the footsteps of Instagram, by removing the ‘Like’ button on pages for a cleaner layout. The proposed new layout is designed to make Pages more readable for visitors and easier to use and manage by page admins.
According to Facebook, the updated design comes at a time where people are looking to connect more with communities and businesses online as they practice their social distancing during the pandemic. Making the layout of Pages less complex and more simplistic will provide visitors with key information, such as the Page bio and posts.
Image Credits: Facebook (Old vs New Pages)
Although the like count for Pages may have been removed, the follower count still remains. Keeping the follower count provides a more accurate snapshot of the true reach of the Page. Over the years, many have ‘liked’ a page but then further unfollowed the page as it outgrew their interest. The updated follows count indicates how many people receive the Page’s update in their News Feed. This eliminates the complicated and confusing process of differing likes and follower counts, allowing businesses to engage with followers who are actually interested in their news and content.
Additionally, new updates have been rolled out for page management, allowing a clearer option to assign and manage admin access permissions based on specific tasks. For example, delegating specific tasks to certain admins who can create page content, send direct messages, respond to comments etc.
The update also intends to make Page insights simpler to navigate. Page owners can gain these insights from the Page or directly from a post as well as access to recently added insights, including new metrics showing audience overlap with connected Instagram accounts. Along with new metrics and insights, Page owners will receive fewer notifications, as updates will be group relevant and related to data.
The prototype is currently being tested by a small handful of media entities on the Facebook mobile app. At this stage Facebook has not released a date for broader release.
We will let you know when we hear more.