Do longer videos necessarily mean better quality? Facebook appears to think so, that is why it has tweaked its algorithm so that those lengthier contents will surface on top of your News Feed more.
Facebook has announced this new change through a statement that addressed the wider issue of video completion rates.
Longer Videos Are Better
According to the social media company, the move is based on insights about user behavior, particularly referring to user engagements on published videos so far.
This indicates that Facebook has evaluated the way users interacted with video contents such as the amount of time spent watching a clip or whether it involves mere impression without turning the video on, among other factors. It could have been reinforced by its recent purchase data demographics from third-party brokers expected to beef up its capability to deploy better targeted ads.
Now, there is the recognition that longer videos will require bigger commitment. However, it seems that Facebook found enough evidence to relegate this consideration under "weight percent completion" to ultimately favor longer videos.
"The best length for a video is whatever length is required to tell a compelling story that engages people, which is likely to vary depending on the story you're telling," Facebook said in an official statement. "You also should look at your video insights in Page Analytics to understand how your videos perform."
Video Length Ranking Complications
The length, however, is not a guarantee that a video will appear on users' News Feeds. The tweak is also going to consider how it performs. If a long video does not get enough audience or interaction, then there is the likelihood that the algorithm will place it at the tail of the queue.
In addition, Facebook is also considering user preference. According to Abhishek Bapna and Seyoung Park, product manager and research scientist at Facebook, respectively, they will also look into user preference. If the new system found that a user's viewing pattern favors lengthier contents, then longer videos will surface on his feed.
Facebook Video vs. TV
Some sources, however, note that user preference has little to do with the new change but more about monetization. This segment believes that Facebook merely wants users to view long videos, period.
Along with the metrics it uses to pay its video publishers, the company seems bent on forcing them to create more engaging clips that retain the attention of the audience. The idea is to increasingly take its users attention away from television. Ultimately, this will create an opportunity for more advertising dollars for the company.
This position is supported by the fact that Facebook is already testing mid-roll advertisements. An uptick in longer and more engaging videos will certainly work well with this scheme, as it embeds ads directly inside a published 90-second video clip.
Facebook declared that the change will be rolling out in stages. Users, therefore, may not yet see its impact on their feeds in the next few days.
