What Facebook Interest Lists Can Do for Brands

Facebook recently released a statement that starting over the next few weeks, it will add Interest Lists to users’ homepages. The Interest Lists, according to Search Engine Watch, will allow users to pick and choose what brands and celebrities they want to follow.

Once subscribed, a user will see updates from his or her favorites in either the main newsfeed or one designated for that brand and similar brands. Facebook describes this new feature as “your own personalized newspaper, with special sections—or feeds—for topics that matter to you.”

This news is a marketer’s dream. Interest Lists are yet another way for brands to gain followers and exposure. Pamela Vaughan of Hubspot’s blog suggests getting a prominent, public-facing employee to place your business on an Interest List and then promoting that list far and wide — on your blog, social media, and so on.

If other users are encouraged to subscribe, they will then see news from your company in their feed, even if they don’t subscribe to your page. She also says that companies should use the new Timeline layout to pin an “add to Interest List” button, which will prominently feature it at the top of their pages.

Drew Olanoff of The Next Web says that Interest Lists will more prominently display advertisers, since some will no longer be located on the side of the homepage, but rather incorporated into the regular newsfeed. Updates from brands will be smack dab in the middle of your friends’ updates. While he predicts that users might not buy into this new setup, it’s worth a try for Facebook.

As long as marketers stick to the old rules of posting relatable and interesting information and not just promoting their products, users will most likely take to it like they do on Twitter when they follow brands. What do you think—will Interest Lists be a nuisance to users? Or will it be a win-win situation for users and brands alike?

Image courtesy of Flickr, maggiebyroo