Facebook Is Testing a News Feed Without Posts From Publishers

Outside of the six affected countries, which also includes Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Serbia, the explore feed is created to introduce Facebook users to pages they do not already follow.

In the test, Facebook will cordon off the traditional News Feed as the exclusive domain of posts from people’s friends and family members – i.e., non-Page accounts – and will limit Pages’ organic posts to the Explore Feed.

The social media has begun tests in six countries where the main News Feed excludes all content generated by news or companies.

Facebook says the point is to give people two feeds: One with stuff from their friends and family, and the other from businesses and publishers.

The test stemmed from users requesting an easier way to see their friends’ updates, which may mean businesses are taking over the standard feed and may need to revamp their social media policies to keep customers and fans.

However it seems that Facebook still isn’t done experimenting with its News Feed yet because the company has recently announced that they are testing out the idea of splitting the News Feed into two.

Facebook has reportedly removed posts from pages in users’ News Feed, and relegated them to another feed. In six markets, The Guardian reports, Facebook is running a test wherein it removes all posts published on Facebook Pages from the main News Feed, integrating them into the “Explore” feed instead.

Facebook came in with a clarification on their website that the current form of Explore Feed which has been rolled out to certain desktop users is not the same as this experimental feed.

The trial, which so far has been tested in Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Bolivia, Guatemala and Cambodia, saw nonpromoted posts by publishers moved out of the news feed and into its “explore feed”. In Slovakia, where the test is now active, companies operating Pages are already “seeing dramatic drops in organic reach”, according to Struhárik.

The tests go against Facebook’s recent efforts to re-establish its relationship with publishers. Publishers in his country had seen four times fewer interactions since the change, he said – what had become a vital and vibrant platform for them was emptying out fast.

Third, Page owners are not opposed to paying Facebook to promote their posts. Also, Facebook changes algorithms from time to time, and after some variation in engagement initially, publishers then find that things stabilize eventually.

“Some have interpreted this test as a future product we plan to deliver globally”.