Facebook is testing a new design for pages. The well-known ‘Like’ button has disappeared in the new design.
Facebook pages can still be quite busy and cluttered. For example, take a look at the page of the NOS, where videos, featured videos, video series, photos and other information provide a fairly busy image. For both followers and page managers, a new design should provide more peace of mind and overview, making it easier to find certain items.
The new design has been tested by a limited number of page administrators for a while and only the mobile version of the social media site now supports the new layout. The new look is now being rolled out more widely and you can now see the modified design on the pages of various actors, authors, bands and media parties.
Modifications
Remarkably, the ‘Like’ button has been exchanged for a ‘Follow’ button. You also no longer see how many users like the page, but you can now see how many followers a page has. Facebook states that many users have come to like pages over the years, but eventually lost interest and chose not to receive news updates anymore. On a page you can still see that they like the page.
The adjustments to pages only track active followers, so the users who still receive news updates and posts from that page on their timeline. This will be a welcome addition, especially for page managers, as they will get a clearer picture of which users really find their page interesting. This should strengthen contact between followers and page administrators.
Facebook also wants to give page managers more options to adjust a page, but also to gain insight into, for example, the most viewed messages. A link can also be made with Instagram, so that information about the number of followers on Instagram and Facebook can be viewed in one central place.
For now, the new page design can only be seen in the Facebook app and therefore with a selected number of pages. The social media platform has not yet announced when the update will be rolled out widely.
