If imitation is the ultimate form of flattery, then Facebook is trying hard to be like its social media competitors instead of standing out on its own. 

I’m talking about Facebook vs. TikTok.  

As a Facebook user you’ve probably noticed that not only has Facebook added Stories to the top of the feed, it has added a Reels section after you scroll down a few posts. 

At first, this seemed like a nice addition to the Feed. It gave users the ability to see Stories from friends, regular posts from friends and groups and Reels to discover creators. But Facebook is taking this a giant leap further by announcing that it plans to overhaul the main Feed to be more video content-heavy a la TikTok style. 

Instead of posts from friends and groups taking center stage on your Feed, now Stories and Reels will be first. What posts you see will also change. Instead of mostly seeing the posts from the people and groups users are connected with, users will now see posts that its discovery engine recommends from across Facebook and Instagram. 

Other big changes to the Feed include making Messenger a more prominent feature at the top which basically rewinds its effort to keep Facebook and Messenger as separate apps. A Community Panel is also being considered to help keep users connected to the communities it engages with most.  

Speaking of engagement, the content users will see on their Feed will be based on overall engagement and popularity and not so much on their personal connections anymore.  

This seismic shift is going completely backwards on how Facebook has operated thus far and from the way it was originally designed. It sounds like it will now essentially be another TikTok with a few regular posts sprinkled in. 

While it can’t be argued that short-form video content is hot right now and TikTok has created an entire business from it, not everyone wants to be inundated with this form of content and worse, succumb to doomscrolling which is infinitely easier to do with a never-ending video feed. Not to mention, the user base of TikTok and Facebook are entirely different with a younger audience gravitating towards TikTok and the older generations on Facebook — and that’s OK.  

As users, we have the ability to decide how and where we want to absorb and engage with content. If all of the platforms are essentially the same, that doesn’t leave room for the choice to engage with content, or our friends online, the way that we prefer. 

From a business perspective, I see the importance of staying fresh, but the elements that made Facebook unique and special to begin with are the ones that should stay. At its core, we need Facebook to be a place that keeps us connected with our friends, family and community. No other social media platform does that in this way…and soon there may not be any. 

Overwhelmed by all the social media platforms and need help developing a cohesive and on-brand content strategy? At our award-winning public relations agency, our talented social media managers and communications experts can help your business stay ahead of the game. Contact us today to learn more. 

Mara Gordon

Sr. Account Executive – Digital