Facebook Introduces Embedded Posts

These days, it’s starting to seem like more people write for websites or blogs than those that don’t. As such, the way in which we write for the web can sometimes be almost as newsworthy as what we actually write. So that’s why I sat up and took notice when Facebook announced today that it was beginning to roll out the ability to embed public Facebook posts in websites and blog posts.

In short, this is going to allow folks who create and comment on content for the web to more easily integrate Facebook posts into their work. The catch, of course, is that it’ll only work on posts marked “public.” A majority of Facebook users still use private accounts, since Facebook is the walled garden that Twitter isn’t. Even still, Facebook’s popularity is pretty undeniable, and there are still plenty of Facebook-specific updates and announcements that are embed-worthy.

“Embedded Posts let people add public posts from Facebook to their blog or web site,” explains the post on Facebook’s Newsroom. “When embedded, posts can include pictures, videos, hashtags and other content. People can also like and share the post directly from the embed.”

Ironically, I don’t think I can embed the post on this article. Wouldn’t that have made sense? Alas.

The ability to embed posts has been available from Twitter for some time now, so it’s fitting that Facebook is now copying them. But, as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and this will only help Facebook stay relevant in the long run. After all, if it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea. There’s no reason for Facebook not to do this if it’s able. If nothing else, it’ll keep the social media platform in the public eye.

Now, the question will be whether or not web-writers will bother using this ability. In my work as a web-writer, I’ve encountered far more instances of embed-worthy Twitter posts than on Facebook. But maybe now that the embedding ability is being implemented, that trend may start to shift.

As of now, it seems that only CNN, Huffington Post, Bleacher Report, PEOPLE, and Mashable are the only publications that can take advantage of this new feature. So…thanks? I guess? Hopefully Facebook will roll this out for broader public use very soon. If not, well, then what’s the point?