Facebook just rolled out a new Subscribe option that will give you more choices about the type of updates you want (or don’t want) to see in your News Feed from Friends. It will also allow you to ‘subscribe’ to public updates from people who are not your Facebook Friends.
The new Subscribe button is a great marketing benefit for quasi-public, professionals, or public figures since it allows them more privacy for their personal conversations with Friends, while allowing any Facebook member to see the updates they would like to make public. Furthermore, their public updates will be searchable in Google and other search engines.
Facebook Subscriber Choices
To adjust your subscription, just hover your mouse over the Subscribe button on the person’s Profile. UNCHECK the type of updates you don’t want from them:
- Life events
- Status updates
- Photos and Videos
- Games
- Unsubscribe
You can always go back to the person’s Profile and change your preferences. You can also unsubscribe by clicking the “Report” link next to a post you see in your News Feed and choose “Unsubscribe.”
Why Only Some Profiles Will Have a Subscribe Button
You will automatically see a “Subscribe” button on Profiles of people who are already your Friends. (By definition, you’ve always been ‘subscribed’ to your Friends posts). So you can moderate their updates to your News Feed by the steps above.
However, if someone isn’t your Facebook Friend, you may or may not see a Subscribe button at the top of their Profile, because it’s their option to use it.
Also, the Subscribe button will be rolling out in phases over the next few days, so not everyone will have the option at once.
With its new Subscribe feature, Facebook is again expanding to borrow from Twitter and Google. By allowing you to keep up with journalists, celebrities, political figures and other people you’re interested in right from their Profiles, Facebook is mimicking Twitter’s “Follower” model.
And, in enabling you to broadcast updates without having to open the gate to your Friends area, Facebook is adding another layer of privacy choices. The appeal that Google +1 offers is that you can separate your different social circles and the privacy settings are not so draconian. It seems Facebook is taking another baby step in granular choices for users.
