Facebook is testing a breaking news mobile app with select publishers, reports Business Insider. The app will be a stand-alone news app that will work like Twitter, providing users with breaking news notifications from its publishing partners.
Though Facebook declined to comment on its plans for the article, Business Insider received information about the news app from a source who is working with the Facebook Business platform. According to the source, this is how the app will work:
- Users will download a new mobile app.
- Users will select publishers to get alerts from, or choose specific topics.
- When there is breaking news, publishers will blast alerts to its followers.
- The alerts can be up to 100 characters long including a URL that links to the article on the publisher’s website. {Twitter allows 140 characters.}
How is it like Twitter? Speed, length and audience. According to Business Insider’s source, the breaking news alerts would get sent out as fast as a tweet to users who choose to follow that particular publisher or media outlet. Like Twitter, the length of the alerts is restricted.Insider Take:While the ‘how’ is intriguing to fans of technology and social media, the important question is why. Why is Facebook creating a breaking news app, and will it be successful? Since details about the project are being kept under wraps, we can only speculate about the reasons for the new app.Our guess is that Facebook is leveraging its popularity to entice publishers to use its platforms (e.g., Instant Articles, breaking news app) as much as possible. Facebook is pitching such partnerships as ‘win-win,’ which may be true, but Facebook isn’t creating these new tools just because it can. It is doing it to solidify Facebook’s prominent place in the social media world by always being the “shiny new toy.” Facebook is trying to increase its value over time, so users – and publishers – find they can’t live without it.And a little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right? Other social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter and Snapchat are creating and evolving every day. None of them can remain stagnant because, in a world where instant gratification is the name of the game, keeping up with the Joneses is no longer good enough. In fact, that may be why Twitter recently revealed its new “news” tab for iOS and Android devices, and Project Lighting, a news feed that allows users to follow events as well as specific people.Will it work? Maybe. To be successful, Facebook needs to do adequate testing with publishers and end users alike. By testing and tweaking, Facebook can determine if its vision for the app meets a need or fills a gap that other platforms – like Twitter – aren’t filling.Similar to its roll out of Instant Articles, Facebook is selecting its partners to see what works and to learn what publishers need from Facebook to make this app work for them. To ensure that a sufficient number of publishers sign on, Facebook needs to create a super simple app and show publishers that it can bring new traffic directly to their websites. For publishers who have been slow to try Facebook as a viable news outlet, this may be their opportunity to get on board with low risk.We’ll be watching for Facebook’s official announcement about the breaking news app and, as always, we’ll keep you updated.
