The ever-growing list of social media knockoffs continues as Facebook launches embedded posts, directly following in the footsteps of Twitter and Instagram. Sure, Twitter started this three years ago and Instagram is owned by Facebook, so we saw it coming, but still, really Facebook? And while it makes sense for Facebook to do this, it also raises the question of just how desperate Facebook is getting in the social media platform wars (and what that means for internet marketing).
What is Facebook Embed Post?
For those of you who aren’t already using Twitter embed posts (and you really should be if you want to post your content and build links), Facebook will work the same way. Simply put, you can now embed Facebook posts, just like you would in a public forum or with a YouTube video, directly on your website or blogs. This social plugin allows you to bring public posts to your site complete with images, videos, hash tags, and other content.
For now, this only works with a few Facebook sites, namely Bleacher Report, CNN, Mashable, People, and Huffington Post, but more will roll out in the coming weeks. When you embed Facebook posts from these sources, your website will be enabled for direct engagement through:
– The ability for viewers to like or share the post directly from your blog or website – The ability for readers to follow other posts by that author or like the page directly from your website – The ability to visit the photos, hash tags, and Facebook embedded post comments directly from your blog or website.
In other words, it builds a powerful link between your site and Facebook, taking a small part of that huge SEO ranking power for you. It really is a great way to increase your ranking and credibility.
Why Facebook Embedding Works for Internet Marketers
And it’s really that last part that should interest you. If you’re at the point where a slight increase in SEO rankings can get you one page higher in the SERPs, this could be a great opportunity to take that leap. Plus, when you embed relevant content, it not only helps your viewers see you as a news leader in your niche, but also connects you directly with newsmakers.
This means that sites will turn to you for material and you will be more likely to publish it. Essentially, you’re increasing the content you have to advertise against.
What does this mean in the social media landscape?
But what about the big picture for internet marketers? What does this movement say about the changing landscape of social media marketing? Well, for starters, this embedding imitation works both ways. Facebook was the first social media platform to incorporate its Like button and Twitter quickly copied it. This back and forth has been ongoing as Facebook tries to win back the youthful demographic that Twitter snatched away.
But this latest move isn’t solely focused on the youth demographic, as Facebook included some heavy hitters in the news and business sectors in this initial launch. Facebook played extremely conservative by allowing only publicly shared posts to be embedded. While this doesn’t take into account people who can’t figure out how to post privately, it targets sites that are more about sharing information than private people.
That means the goal here is for newsmakers to start creating more content with the intention of being embedded on other websites. This angle will eventually increase links to Facebook, but it will also increase the amount of interesting content in news feeds. Guess where your Facebook ads will be placed?
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