Facebook changes explained: Here’s what to do right now

When your news feed starts to look different — and it soon will — don't panic.

As the present now will later be past The order is rapidly fadin’ And the first one now will later be last For the times they are a-changin’

When Bob Dylan wrote this classic in 1964, he couldn’t have known that the lyrics would apply so perfectly to what’s been happening lately on Facebook.

You may have read that the times are a-changin’ at the social network, specifically to the content being served up in the news feed. In a nutshell, it means more family photos and requests to buy Girl Scout cookies and less content from publications like the one you’re reading now.

If you use Facebook for any type of work purpose, you may not be able to find the things you normally rely on. But fear not, as the Social Media Adviser has some tips and tricks to keep the distractions to a minimum.

The following applies to any Facebook page, but let’s use InvestmentNews as an example. Here’s how to ensure you don’t miss anything from us.

Go to our page at

facebook.com/newsfromINHopefully you already follow us. If not, please click the “like” button.

The power of “See First”

Under the main photo, next to where you clicked “like,” you’ll see another drop-down called “Following.” Click , and under the section called “In your news feed,” select “See First.” You’ll get a reminder when viewing your newsfeed that the content you selected as “see first” is indeed first. It’s very helpful.

While you’re there, consider embracing notifications.

Under that same “Following” drop-down, at the bottom, is a section called “notifications.” Turn them on to ensure you know when something is posted. The number of notifications will vary with the amount of activity on the page, so there are some cases where this may become overwhelming. The good news is you can toggle it on or off at any time.

Now leave a comment on the posts you see.

One of the changes Facebook is making centers around what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls “meaningful engagement,” where just seeing a story in your feed is enough. Now the stories that are most likely to be surfaced are the ones where people are engaging. So, the simple act of clicking “like” and leaving a comment can go a long way to make sure more people see the content. Think of it as your good Facebook deed of the day.

You might be asked to take a survey.

Facebook said that it would be asking users for their opinions on certain publishers and pages in the form of a survey. They’re easy to skip, but in this case the results could affect what you see in a big way, so it benefits all parties when you complete it.

Speaking of surveys …

Survey the rest of your social media usage. You might be tempted to spend more time on LinkedIn or Twitter. I’ve heard from some people who have said they’re basically over Facebook because keeping up with these changes is a full-time job.

Yes, for some people it is. I’m happy to keep you informed every step of the way. While I use Twitter more than I use Facebook, you are welcome to follow me in both places — @scottkleinberg and facebook.com/skleinberg.

If you have a social media question or an idea for a column topic, or if you have thoughts about this column or any previous ones, please let me know. Tweet them to me with the hashtag #socialmediaadviser or email me at [email protected].

And please remember to follow InvestmentNews on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/newsfromIN and click the like button. Bonus points for doing all of those things mentioned above.

Thanks for reading Social Media Adviser.