Facebook continues to follow Twitter’s lead with embedded posts

1 Aug 2013

Image via PromesaArtStudio/Shutterstock

For many, Facebook is where we go to find out what’s happening with our friends and Twitter is where we find out what’s happening in the world. By taking a few cues from the micro-blogging network, though, Facebook seems intent on bridging that gap.

First, Facebook introduced verified accounts. This was closely followed by hashtags. Now, we have the roll-out of embeddable posts, helping Facebook to spread public posts across a wider network and contribute to the discussion happening on other platforms.

Facebook posts made available to the public can now be embedded on other sites. These embedded posts will enable interaction with Facebook posts and accounts from elsewhere on the web, much like the share and like buttons found almost everywhere do today.

Within an embedded post, users can like the source’s Facebook page, click hashtags to find related posts, like, comment, follow and share.

Clickable hashtags in embedded Facebook post

Hashtags will be clickable in Facebook’s embedded posts

For starters, embedded posts will be available for a select few pages (namely CNN, Huffington Post, Bleacher Report, People and Mashable), but broader availability is promised soon.

Like page directly from embedded Facebook post

Users will be able to like pages directly from embedded posts

For Twitter, embedded posts have helped the network gain notoriety as a valuable news source. Many sites will embed tweets as quotes from relevant parties, or use them to represent public reaction to big stories.

Facebook-owned Instagram enabled embedding of its photos and videos just last month, so now posts shared on both these networks can become part of the wider conversation happening on the web.

Facebook image by PromesaArtStudio via Shutterstock

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com