Just when we’ve come to understand Facebook’s latest algorithm preferences, along comes another announcement. This time, the social network has stated that it will be taking into consideration how long users spend time looking at or reading a post, and not just how many likes and comments it receives.

This year alone we’ve already witnessed around three algorithm updates from the social media giant. The first came in January, when Facebook allegedly started showing less promotional content from business pages. Then, we were told that the site would soon be showing us more posts from the same source such as one particular friend, with posts from friends given more precedence in our feeds too. Finally, after a spate of continually seeing which posts our friends had liked and commented on, Facebook announced that it had then decided to make this type of content less visible.

And now, Facebook has announced in its latest move that it will be pushing posts in accordance with how much time we spend looking at them. It seems that for marketers, physical engagement with a post- (clicks, likes, shares and comments) are now less important metrics, as post success will all come down to viewing time. In an attempt to make News Feed more relevant to users, Facebook has decided that this factor is more important than how one engages with a post. The site has taken into account that not all users will want to comment on, like or share posts, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in the content. Therefore, this algorithm update is a way to gain insights into passive Facebook users (or ghost users) just as much as for active users too.

But it’s obvious to many that there’s a flaw in this plan- what if a user scrolls down to a certain point on News Feed, then leaves his or her desk with the page still open? Or glances over to another open tab, for instance? And this also doesn’t take into account the fact that your News Feed, whether displayed on mobile, desktop or tablet, shows approximately 2 or more posts at each time, so we’re wondering how Facebook will be able to accurately pinpoint which one we’re most intent on focusing on.

So what kinds of posts should businesses aim to create? We’ve always stressed that the focus be on meaningful, valuable, and original content that informs and entertains your audience. But if brands are to keep their fans’ attention for longer, it seems that their post content will have to shift towards video, photo albums, or stories- the kind of posts that keep people reading, watching, or flicking through. That’s not to say brands must force themselves to create these types of posts- as long as the posts are eye-catching and compel viewers to hover for slightly longer than they ordinarily would, Facebook should pick up on this, regardless of length. Also, it’s worth noting that while the update is set to roll out in the next few weeks, it won’t cause Facebook business pages to have their traffic affected. However, we definitely don’t think it hurts to start strategizing for new types of content in any eventuality, and especially if it will help with creating content that’s more meaningful in the long run.

What do you think about Facebook’s latest algorithm change? Do you think these will have any impact on the user experience, or the way Facebook targets specific audiences? We’d love to hear your comments, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.