On Monday, February 3rd, Facebook released its new iPhone app called Paper. Although rumors had swirled for months over what kind of integration Paper would offer, the newly released app surpassed all expectations.
Focus on Storytelling
Unlike the Facebook of old, Paper shifts the focus to illustrative story-telling thanks to high-definition photos, full-screen video, and a drag-and-drop customization options. Users are given a sense of control over their updates as they’re now able to create a custom homepage with information from news sources and feeds of their choosing.
Facebook Paper’s Innovative Features
Some of the features include the photo tilt option that displays high-resolution pictures, an oscillating video view, a flipbook-inspired touch navigation, and a customizable homepage with your favorite themes and interests.
Image-Centric Design
The newsfeed feature, which continues to be a mainstay of Facebook’s homepage on desktop and other mobile versions, is now customizable to include your favorite themes and interests. Although pictures and images have taken center stage, Paper is still very much a news-reading app. Links in the newsfeed now appear in Paper as an image instead of text.
What This Means for Business
Image-centric design has been on the internet marketing radar for some time. Pinterest, Instagram, and now Paper are demonstrating the importance of creating strong brand-related imagery.
The ability for users to curate their feed will create smaller, more engaged communities. Marketers will have to think long and hard about the smaller groups that make up their audience, which groups are most receptive to their message and how best to stand out in these specialized spheres.
iPhones or Bust
Overall, the Facebook Paper app has made scanning, viewing, and organizing your content more user-friendly. As for non-iPhone users, well, we will just have to wait until Facebook releases the app for our devices.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/paper for the full list of features.