Facebook Keeps It Current With Moments and Holiday Cards

December 22, 2016

If you’ve noticed more announcements at the top of your Facebook feed, it’s likely due to Facebook’s latest rollout, Moments. For various events, from lesser-known holidays to news to cultural moments, Facebook has added a card to the top of users’ feeds to keep them in the know and spark conversations. The feature is similar to Twitter’s Moments, but if 2016 has taught us anything, it’s that Facebook won’t hesitate to poach competitors’ most popular features (e.g. Instagram Stories, Facebook Live). Facebook has also unveiled an e-card feature for posting holiday cards to friends’ feeds.

While Facebook hasn’t announced plans to make the Moments feature a paid option for business accounts, there might be potential for brands to sponsor Moments around major events or announcements. Until then, brand communicators would do well to pay attention to the historical and cultural moments being spotlighted, as they may provide inspiration for starting conversations with audiences. For instance: If the Moment of the day is the anniversary of a beloved food (World Donut Day, anyone?), a culinary brand might share or make mention of the Moment with a link to relevant content—a video of an influencer baking the treat, perhaps.

The holiday cards feature is open only to personal accounts, but PR professionals might consider using them on their individual profiles to thank important media contacts for their support over the year. The colorful designs provide a way to spread holiday cheer in a personalized way without feeling like an invasion of space—journalists might be somewhat alarmed to start receiving holiday cards to their home addresses!

Follow Sophie: @SophieMaerowitz