Earlier this year Facebook launched Instant Articles, an integrated service that aimed to make reading news and features on mobile devices even easier and faster. The almost instant load times and optimised viewing experience were a hit, and some of the web’s biggest news outlets like Buzzfeed and the New York Times jumped on board.
Fast forward a couple of months and Facebook Instant Articles are being rolled out to online publishers who want to connect to their mobile audience in a more effective way. There are just a few requirements that must be reached before you can sign up, including a backlog of at least 50 articles that are on your CMS and ready to be published.
So why would you make the leap to Facebook Instant Articles? Like every new technology, it’s not for everybody, but it’s definitely worth it if a lot of your traffic and brand awareness comes from the content you create. If your company runs a popular blog or you want to establish your brand as an authority on your chosen industry or topic, Facebook Instant Articles will be a great asset to your marketing strategy.
Want to start posting your WordPress site’s content via Facebook Instant Articles? Great. Already having your content published in WordPress is a great help and makes the set up process a lot easier:
- Before you start you’ll need to ensure you have a Facebook page set up, as well as Facebook Business Manager – it’s free and simple to get started.
- Once that’s done you’ll need to complete the sign up for Instant Articles and download the WordPress Instant Articles plugin, which creates an RSS feed ready for your Instant Articles.
- Connect the RSS feed to your Instant Articles manager in Facebook and then get cracking on making sure the settings are correct – here’s where you can personalise your branding, analytics and ads. While you’re doing this Facebook is reviewing your feed and double checking everything’s ready to go.
- Next you’ll need to add your first round of articles (at least 50, as per the Instant Articles requirements) and then all that’s left to do is make sure the service is working correctly – don’t forget to use a mobile device!
So there you have it, a quick guide on Facebook Instant Articles for WordPress. Do you think you’ll take the plunge and share your content through Instant Articles?
