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Nov 25, 2024 8:52:52 AM
Facebook is making a significant change to how personal profiles operate by removing the ability to have public followers. Over the coming months, users with personal profiles that allow public following will need to adjust their settings or transition to a new mode.
Currently, Facebook users can enable the public "Follow" feature, allowing non-friends to follow their posts and see updates in their feeds. This feature has been commonly used by those who want to share content more broadly without adding people as friends.
“When you follow someone, you see their posts in your Feed. You automatically follow people you’re friends with, but you can also follow people you’re interested in without being friends. People can choose to allow non-friends to see their posts in their Feed.”
However, Facebook is phasing out this option for personal profiles. Instead, users will be required to make a choice:
There are a few likely reasons for the removal of public followers on personal profiles:
As seen in screenshots shared by Facebook marketing expert Mari Smith, some users are already receiving notifications about the change. Facebook is rolling this update out gradually to avoid a sudden shift for all users. Those affected will see options to either remove public followers in one tap or switch to Professional Mode.
Switching to Professional Mode essentially transforms a personal profile into a Page, with tools for analytics, boosted posts, and audience management. For those who want to maintain public visibility, this will be the only available option.
This update means users will need to decide how they want to use Facebook moving forward:
It’s also worth noting that Professional Mode opens up new advertising and promotional opportunities, which could be a part of Meta’s strategy to increase ad revenue by encouraging more users to engage with these tools.
The rollout is staged, so not everyone will see this change immediately. Notifications are already appearing for some users, while others won’t encounter it until later in 2024. Regardless, the update will be implemented globally over time.
As this change continues to roll out, consider whether public followers are essential to your Facebook experience. If not, sticking with a personal profile is the simplest route. For those who value broad visibility, switching to Professional Mode will keep your content accessible to followers and unlock additional features.
Stay tuned for further updates as Facebook refines its approach to profiles and content visibility.
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