Previously Published to TalentZoo’s Digital Pivot
Yesterday, Facebook announced a new mobile feature that will eventually replace the traditional notifications tab for many users globally. This new rollout claims to make the notifications tab “more useful.” Grouping notifications will make it easier for users to locate the content that most interests them by tabbing and personalizing the organization of content in a more user-friendly way.
Facebook users, whether on desktop or through mobile, currently struggle with the way “notification” is done. Thanks to groups, subscribed pages, event invites, tags, and the other features that make Facebook what it is, many users simply scan notifications for those that directly relate to them or continue a thread where they left off.
So much of Facebook is being brushed off. So much content is being ignored. Once it is overlooked, it is never returned to again. This is completely counterproductive.
Facebook is essentially proposing to personalize the central information network. Considering how sites like Yahoo and AOL group together news stories, events, and other relevant information to visitor interests, Facebook is mirroring a structure that has worked in light of evolutionary changes in platform delivery —these news sites are “all about you.”
Users will be able to customize notifications based on milestones, life events, and important dates as directly related to friends and family. They will be able to group reminders of events, sports, and television shows. These will be updated by each “friend” and “page” the user is subscribed to.
How many times have you liked a page, only to never see updates from that page and eventually forget what that page had to offer?
Now, important dates and releases will appear grouped in the notifications tab. For users that enable GPS location or input cities and states, they will now be updated on weather, local events and news, local show times, and even places to eat, linked by Facebook pages and reviews.
They say if something isn’t broken, don’t fix it. In this case, Facebook, we openly accept your gradual rollouts with open arms.
