FaceBook Yellow's Features Show Big Things Are Coming

​by Karen Fratti

Earlier this month, Mark Zuckerberg held a Facebook Live Q&A on the social network using his own version of the app. Almost as soon as viewers got a peek at the internal for-Facebook-employees only app, they took to social media to gush about Facebook Yellow's features. 

Music

Facebook’s been talking to music labels about forging some partnerships but just what they will be still remains to be seen. Sources have told the Verge that Facebook will likely be looking into a streaming service after talks with Sony, Universal, and a handful of other labels.

GIFs

Twitter recently added GIFs to their mobile app using an API that makes them easy to search for by keyword. It’s about time Facebook went to the GIF-side.

Slideshows

This one’s the most interesting for marketers as it looks like there’s a new way to display images and ads. But it's also unclear if that's its intended purpose. It could just be a new way for users to share pictures, but what's the fun in that?

When Zuckerberg noticed he had shown off some secret features he was super quick to note that not all of the features will eventually make it through the beta stage. But it was a reminder to the tech world that just when you think you’ve seen it all, the really innovative social and tech companies will always have a new toy to disrupt the status quo - whether it’s a new ad display or a music streaming service.

It’s good to remember to never take tech for granted or hold something so dear that you won’t be able to adapt to the next thing. Sure, the addition of GIFs to status updates is no big deal, but new ways to display images? That could be a game changer. Or a flop. But that's all the fun in the tech business, right?  You never know what next big thing in beta will eventually blow your mind.

For the record, though, if Facebook needs some beta testers, they know where to find us.

IMAGE CREDIT: ROSMARIE VOEGTLI