Adapting to Facebook Paper: 3 Tips for Success

Facebook has been a part of the way that individuals interact and connect online since mobile technology joined the web. It makes sense: as the largest social network in the world, with enough users to constitute one of the world’s largest countries in terms of population, people wanted to stay connected.

However, there were problems with the limitations of the mobile app for Facebook that created a need for something more, something new. With this in mind, the network revealed Facebook Paper.

What It Is

Released for iPhone, Facebook paper is a revamp of the existing Facebook app. With none of the regularly seen features — newsfeeds, timelines or other streams — Facebook Paper is meant to be what it’s called, a newspaper-like version of the social media platform. With a simple header and various sections — customized per each user’s preference — the app displays a mix of news, brand and individual updates.

Many have described the app as a “slower, more deliberate way to browse Facebook.” Because of the lack of a stream, stories stand out individually and more attention can be paid to specific trends and ideas. But, it’s also just as easy for your brand to get lost or overlooked by users of the app if specific steps aren’t taken from the start.

Tips for Success

Like any other new technology or application, adapting is critical. While the Facebook Paper app has yet to be a huge hit, there’s no better time to plan than now.

1.    Format Content Like News

Because the whole premise behind Facebook Paper is to more closely replicate a traditional newspaper or magazine reading experience, your content should be designed to match. This could go one of two ways — either writing news-like content, or repurposing existing news to match your own needs. Writing news-like content could mean sharing press releases or utilizing brand storytelling tactics that speak to an audience in a way that standard online content does not. Using existing news could mean setting up alerts for stories relating to your industry, sharing them and providing a little insight as to how it relates to you or your business. For instance, a drug rehab center could look for stories relating to celebrities undergoing treatment or statistics that have been uncovered, link to the article and share a little information that relates to their own center. The idea is to create news-like content in whatever way works for your brand.

2.    Visual Focus

Facebook Paper, like the desktop version, is already starting to favor graphic posts over text-based updates. With this in mind, your strategy should match. Create infographics if you have detailed content to share, or share memes or other visually appealing graphics to rank higher in the app. The more visual your content, the more likely it is to be noticed on Facebook Paper.

3.    Know Your Target Audience’s Interests

Facebook Paper is divided into sections — science, business, art, and so on. With this in mind, content that is created and shared should fit within popular sections to find success. However, what’s popular for the target market of a financial institution may be different than a children’s toy retailer. This is another area where knowing your audience is critical for success. Find out which sections your market is most likely to favor and create content accordingly.

Facebook Paper is a new application that is just starting to take off. However, by staying on top of the trend and tracking the interest levels of your potential followers and fans, you’ll be better prepared for when it becomes the standard.

 

About The Author

Scott Huntington is a writer and blogger. Check out his new blog, offthethrottle.com.