Research suggests Facebook algorithm change has not harmed publishers.

In June 2016, Facebook changed it's algorithm so that posts from users' friends and family were prioritised over posts from publishers.

Research from Ezyinsights has suggested that these changes have had no impact on publishers' Facebook reach.

The research looked at Faceboook posts from BBC News, Channel 4 News, The Guardian, Huffington Post, The Independent, ITC Central, ITV News, Metro, Sky News, and The Telegraph.

In April 2016, these publishers received a total of 3M daily engagements on Facebook, while in October 2016 they received 7M daily engagements.

Steve El-Sharaway, head of innovation at Ezyinsights, said: “The Friends and Family change was, initially, a concern for publishers who feared a fall in referrals, but despite the change, engagement levels have risen.

“In effect, Facebook said a publisher’s audience sharing its stories would be valued more highly than a publisher sharing that same content itself, no matter how many Facebook fans it may have.

“Despite publishers’ fears, that seems to have benefited them. People love sharing news and trust it more when it’s shared by friends, so it does make sense. Publishers’ content might not appear as frequently in their fans’ feeds, but people sharing content seems to have helped, partially at least, to fill the void.”