Facebook tests a new feature to recommend businesses in News Feed

Facebook is testing a new feature that will recommend posts from businesses in users’ News Feeds. The company says the goal is to help users discover “new businesses they might not have found on their own.”

With the update, Facebook will insert a selection of thumbnail previewing posts from businesses you don’t already follow. The thumbnails will appear directly under posts from business pages, and will be around a similar topic. For example, a restaurant’s post may recommend posts from other restaurants in your area, or a beauty brand may point to similar companies.

Facebook says it plans to initially test the feature in the United States, but plans to eventually expand the effort. The test comes as Facebook gets ready for an iOS 14 update that will make it much harder for the company to track users. Facebook has warned that the changes will hurt the small businesses that rely on its advertising. Recommending posts from businesses that are “similar” to ones users already follow could help Facebook give visibility to those companies without ad tracking.

The company announced the test as part of a larger update for businesses. In addition to the new recommendations, Facebook is also expanding availability of its new Page design and making it easier for business owners to draft, schedule and publish posts from their accounts.