Facebook in its never ending attempt to build out a better Graph Search product has announced a new ratings system via Sections for Timeline.
The “Sections” area shows users what apps they use and now a star rating system appears next to movies, TV shows, and books.
Once rated developers can track traffic from Sections – a feature that adds more than 200 million items each day.
Facebook rolled out testing for Sections in mid-March after announcing a fully redesigned Facebook Timeline with all users posts in the right column. The new display fully divides Facebook posts and Sections to make for a cleaner and more functional user interface.
On the left side of the Facebook timeline each content type and app receives its own section which can be configured via the About tab inside a users profile.
By adding ratings into the equation Facebook can now provide better results for example when someone types “Movies my friends like.”
Developers in the meantime can use the data to determine which movies, TV shows, books, and other information users share and love. Developers can also determine how much traffic they are receiving from sections which in turn will help them guide their apps development.
By allowing for ratings Facebook could also increase the power of its ad platform. Knowing that a user loves Big Bang Theory on CBS could lead to better hyper-targeting of user interests. Facebook could then turn around and show you more updates form the Big Bang Theory fan page if you have “Liked” the page.
The possibilities are endless and with Facebook vying for a larger piece of the online ad market I’m sure they’ll integrate user ratings to their fullest.
What possibilities do you see with the Facebook Sections rating system?
I knew it was going to have something to do with more ad revenue!
Doesn't it always Heidi 🙂
Ha! I wouldn't have caught that it will help them with ads!