In an effort to generate money, Facebook makes it harder for brands
Ever since they went public back in 2012, Facebook has been getting a tough time from Wall Street. In the first few months, their stock dropped by almost 75% before slowly recovering; the stock currently sits at $27, down 29% from their initial price of $38. Facebook has been under considerable pressure to expand into the developing markets, such as Africa and Asia, as well as a developing robust monetization methods in places such as Europe and North America.
Previously, Facebook made money through sponsored adverts in the sidebar, which were targeted based on a person's interests or "likes". Now, Facebook has developed a mechanism by which they will promote your content - whether that be an app, a post, a video or a service - through their "sponsored posts" ad units.
It appears that Facebook has gone even further than just adding extra ways for advertisers to reach their audiences, however. The New York Times' Nick Bilton has noticed that his Facebook posts on his personal account have been seen by fewer and fewer people, a change that can only be attributed to a change in Facebook's news feed algorithm.
