Facebook has responded to the passion inspired by Pinterest and Instagram by updating its Newsfeed to both emphasize photographs but also give more control to users. In a move that could bring huge benefit to creative industries such as hairdressing, it’s important to prepare for what these changes may mean for brands, explains salon marketing expert Valorie Reavis.

"Photos currently represent about 50% of newsfeed stories, according to Facebook, so it makes sense to make this a major theme to the updates," says Reavis, founder of the Shout Lounge, an online application that connects local businesses with suppliers and media to help them access content for their social media and other digital marketing. "Even other types of content, like check-ins, are becoming more visual, with larger maps. This is coupled with the recent release of Graph Search and their updates to the mobile app. The message is clear that Facebook sees the future as being mobile and visual.”

Reavis says, since only one fan in ten returns to a business page he or she has “liked” the page on Facebook, it has become ever more urgent to ensure pages are relevant and active so that posts show up in fans’ newsfeed. Posting photographs and memes could be the link to increased engagement and driving up a salon’s profile.

"The update is scheduled to roll out immediately, and although it’s currently unclear how this will affect business pages, it is crucial for salons and spas to look at their current activity and evaluate how it will measure up in the new visual and mobile-centric Facebook experience,’ says Reavis. 

Coinciding with the move to be more visual, Facebook is also introducing changes that give users more control over what they see. This includes new filters that allow users to view only certain types of updates.  Some examples in the previews from Facebook:

*All Friends

*Following

*Groups

*Photos only

*Music

*Most recent

"Facebook is making these changes to give power to users, not businesses, so staying relevant to users is going to be even more important," says Reavis. "Salons and spas must think more about what users will want to hear and produce information they will seek out or consider essential so it is not filtered out."

For more information on these changes and to preview the new look: https://www.facebook.com/about/newsfeed

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