Facebook is making product endorsements more obvious
The social network is banning "overly promotional" posts, too.
Ads have been a staple in your Facebook News Feed for quite sometime. Today, the social network announced changes to its branded content policy that will make it more obvious when a celebrity or other publisher posts about third-party goods and services. There's a new tagging feature that must be used by anyone posting something tied to a marketer. The tag will alert the company being referenced so that they can view analytics, share and boost the post. What's more, the original post from the publisher or "influencer" will get a "with" tag just like you see when you tag friends in updates. Adding "with" will help users identify brand posts, but the content still won't be obvious if you're only giving the News Feed a passing glance.
Facebook says that based on feedback, it's also banning "overly promotional" content like "persistent watermarks" and pre-roll ads in any sponsored videos. It also won't allow products, brands or sponsors to be used in profile pictures or cover photos. However, things like product placement and logos are allowed. The changes to the branded content policy are rolling out today, and Facebook says that the features will soon extend to its live video push as well.
