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Could we soon be seeing the launch of ‘Facebook News’? Quite possibly! Word on the grapevine is that social media networks are keen to expand by offering their users access to up-to-the-minute news articles direct from their offices, cutting out the ‘middleman’ publisher altogether in a move that is guaranteed to change the way we use social media on a day-to-day basis.

It has largely been speculated that Twitter have demonstrated significant interest in buying out online news websites Mic and Circa, and there have been reports that Facebook has approached the likes of Buzzfeed, the New York Times, and National Geographic about potential partnerships that could potentially be mutually beneficial for both involved parties.

The Power of Original Content

Currently, Facebook keeps its users up-to-date through ‘trending’ news articles published on news websites such as The Independent and NY Daily News. However, statistics suggest that social media networks could be holding themselves back from reaching their full potential by re-posting this content. Figures show that 61 percent of readers prefer custom content, and that half of all time spent on the web is dedicated to engaging with original text.

Do Readers Prefer Social Media for News?

It’s not the source that matters - it’s the format. Readers want up-to-the-minute news that they can access anytime, any place, via mobile, yet traditional news sources are letting us down. While social media platforms are renowned for their mobile optimisation, studies show that 74 percent of online news websites have unacceptable loading times when accessed via a mobile device.

What this Means for Businesses

For small to medium sized businesses in particular, this is certainly welcome news. Social media is widely considered to be a powerful resource for promotion and advertising, offering a simple, streamlined method of reaching large groups of potential consumers at a single time. Through expansion to include original, up-to-date news articles, social media companies like Facebook and Twitter are set to increase their user base, simultaneously offering business users access to more diverse demographics to continue building a brand and improving visibility and awareness.

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