With smartphones being the go-to device for how we read the news today, both Facebook and Google are focused on speeding up the process for how quickly posts can be loaded on a mobile device. This blog is about the approach that each vendor is taking.
Google announced last Wednesday that their project on Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) will be “an open source initiative to make the mobile web as fast as possible.” This comes as a challenge to Facebook, as it recently announced new changes to its News Feed regarding how content will be presented to users.
Both Google and Facebook are attacking key elements for how their news platforms will deliver content in the near future. With AMP-enabled sites via Google and the new Facebook News Feed, they will soon discover if their approaches are favorable.
Google and Load Speed
Google News is optimizing by how they present content to mobile devices via load speed, which is what being AMP-enabled is about. The company launched its AMP-initiative in February, which was intended to change the user experience. Web pages that are AMP-powered do tend load faster, even if they contain rich content such as embeds from YouTube, Twitter, and other media sources.
The company embraced articles from publishers who create content on web pages that is AMP-enabled. Other than being capable of presenting static content more quickly, Google News is now welcoming sites that enable AMP by presenting them with a “lighting-bolt” on their news carousel announced on April 20th, 2016. This indicates that the site will be an instant load for users – for IT, it means AMP is something to take note of.
Facebook and Compelling Content
This comes as a response to Facebook’s announced plan to change its News Feed and the move to closeout the clickbait era. The company is making alterations to de-clutter its News Feed and runs its algorithm to present content a reader will most likely be interested in. Facebook now puts the pressure on marketers to write compelling content and moves away from flashy titles and misleading posts. On the other hand, Google adds the pressure on IT to AMP-enable their web pages.
Takeaway for Marketers
Both Facebook and Google find their focal points at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to speed and their content delivery platforms. To ensure that content is given a fair chance with changes coming to Facebook, the key for marketers will be to create engaging and original content that doesn’t mislead readers, or isn’t overwhelming with the length as well as frequency of the posts.
With Google, implementing AMP-powered web pages along with engaging content will help increase the chance of your content being read, which goes to show the ever-increasing overlap of Marketing and IT.
Marketers shouldn’t wait to get started.
Source: Google News Blog