For the longest time, Facebook’s algorithm or why you’re seeing what you’re seeing on your news feed has remained a mystery to ordinary users. Yes, digital marketers probably have a deeper understanding of this but for those who are just casual users, it can be a bit confusing at times. Now it looks like Facebook wants to demystify this process as they are now introducing a “Why am I seeing this post” feature to help you understand your news feed more and at the same time, have even more control over what you’re seeing.
If you believe Facebook, they say that they always want to bring you a more personalized News Feed and to show you posts that are most relevant to you (cynics believe otherwise of course). If you’re wondering why you’re seeing certain posts, just tap on the drop-down menu on the right hand corner of a post and look for the “Why am I seeing this post?” section and it will explain why you’re seeing it, including your past interactions with the user, page, or group.
Alongside the reason why you’re seeing the post, you’ll also see what generally has influence on the order of posts, like how often you interact with the posts, what specific kind of posts you interact with (videos, photos, links), and the popularity of the posts shared by those that you follow. You’ll also see a shortcut to your controls like See First, Unfollow, News Feed Preferences, and Privacy Shortcuts.
You’ll also now see more context on why you’re seeing certain ads. They have improved the “Why am I seeing this ad” feature by adding more details about the ads aside from the previous factors like demographics, interests, and website visits. Basically, it will tell you if the information on an advertiser’s list matches your Facebook profile.
Some would always be cynical about Facebook’s transparency not just about their algorithm but also on why you’re seeing certain advertisements on your timeline. But if you believe that the company is trying their best to be more open to how they’re bringing you your News Feed and how they want to give you more control over it, then these latest updates should be good news for you.
SOURCE: Facebook
