It might be difficult to believe, but Facebook is rapidly approaching its 10th birthday. Far from slowing down, Facebook Creative Labs have developed a new iOS app named Paper to be released on February 3 (US release date).
The ad-free app, developed by a team of 15 people over a year, combines feeds from Facebook along with news content from both “emerging voices and well-known publications” to present a user-curated virtual newspaper featuring photos, videos, status updates and links.
Despite similarities to the ever-popular Flipboard app, Paper is a complete re-imagining of Facebook, offering users full-screen, immersive and minimalistic content.
As we previously reported, around a third of the US population already rely on social networks for news, so Facebook’s move to capitalise on this trend is a smart one.
Australian businesses can take advantage of the new app as a great way to source news content for distribution on their website and social media profiles. Users can also customise their Paper and even use the app as a separate publishing tool.
Whereas the official Facebook app is more intimate and more friends- and family-centric, Paper offers businesses greater visibility and a larger ratio of brand-to-personal content. Setting up your Paper is easy, and once it’s done you can begin reaping the benefits of having your own completely customised news feed.
Sometimes the prospect of finding enough engaging content to keep your social media profiles fresh and interesting can be daunting, so apps like Paper are a great way to take the effort out of content generation.
If you would like to find out how to utilise this latest news and media avenue, please get in touch with us today.