Facebook is testing a new version. There is no “Like” button
Facebook is testing a new version of Pages that, among other things, removes the “Like” button. It provides a more transparent and readable layout and facilitates the work of those who operate, actually use and manage the Sites.
The new features were initially tested on a small number of people in the mobile application. They are now being extended to a wider range of Parties.
Now the people taking the test are actors, authors, creators and a small handful of media entities that serve music bands and book authors. If they are included in the test, when they log in to their Sites on a mobile device, they will see the option to opt-in to try the new version. Facebook says it will now expand the test to also include a small percentage of English-speaking Business Pages.
The updated design and feature set are intended to simplify the use of the Sites. The company acknowledges the need to simplify the experience right now as many people practice social distancing and choose to connect with their online communities instead.
The new layout of the Pages is intended to make it easier for visitors to see key information such as bios and posts. The design eliminates the “Like the Page” and “Like this” buttons. Instead, Pages will only have a “Follow” button and will list the number of followers.
This change will better reflect the actual scope of the Sites. Many people have “liked” various Pages over the years, but then unfollowed them in the news feed as interest in them has increased. The number of followers indicates how many people actually see an update to a specific Page in their news feed.
Having both options led to a more complicated process in which users first “like” the Page, which automatically follows it. But a person can now opt out of this by changing their settings at any time. Page owners find this confusing and unhelpful because they want to connect with followers who are actually interested in Pages and their content, not those who just “like” them but don't follow them.
Now, Page owners will be able to better connect with their followers by browsing their News Feed, and then quickly switch between their personal Facebook profile and the public Page (or Pages) they manage when they want to comment or react to posts.
Site Managers will be able to more clearly assign and manage administrator privileges based on specific tasks. This will be supported by an updated “Edit Access” screen where owners can enable or disable specific management tasks, such as who can create Page content, send direct messages as a Page, create ads, respond to comments, and more.
The update also aims to simplify navigation in the Site Statistics section, where Site owners and managers track analytical data related to their performance.
Now Page owners will be able to get this data from the Pages themselves or even directly from posts. In the Insights section, they'll also have access to several newly added metrics, including top-performing posts and new metrics that will show that the Page's audience is also visiting the connected Instagram account.
They will also receive fewer notifications from their Pages because Facebook will now group relevant and related data, such as mentions and reactions to posts, when sending updates.
Facebook does not provide information when the update will be more widely available.
