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The Facebook Instant Article feature was built to solve the specific problem of slow loading times on the mobile web. It is an HTML5 document which has been optimized for fast mobile performance, branded design, rich storytelling capabilities, and a customized visual display.

Once Instant Articles have been enabled on your website or blog, whenever you go on to share your articles on Facebook, the users surfing the Facebook mobile app get to see the Instant Article Icon.

The Icon will tell that the article is an Instant Article and it will open in seconds.

Here is an example of Instant Article Icon for you:



Instant Articles is fast catching up on Facebook users.

Many of you would already have experienced Instant Articles while using the Facebook mobile app on your smartphone.

Facebook Instant Articles have become a great asset for publishers big and small, as they can now host their content on Facebook as against simply posting links pointing to their website.

Facebook has always been a step ahead in connecting people to the stories, posts, photos, or videos that matter most to them. With Instant Articles, Facebook further endeavors to help publishers to tell great stories that load quickly to people all over the world.

Plus, with Instant Articles, publishers retain control over the experience, their data, and their ads.
Moreover, Instant Articles have opened commercial opportunities for publishers by allowing them to run branded content, rich media, and their direct sold ads and keeping 100% of the revenue.

In fact, Instant Articles have 10x faster load times than a normal web page. The boost in load speed means an enhanced user experience for mobile users.

Having said that, Instant Articles hold a great amount of room for improvement and innovation in the days to come. We will also take a look at the pros and cons of using Facebook Instant Articles.

Why does Instant Articles Matter?

Facebook mobile app is the most popular app on Smartphones. As of January 2016, Facebook reach on Smartphones was 78.4%. It is the most used app along with the Messenger App.

As Facebook is the most used app, most of your mobile users are likely to use it. So, you don’t have to convince your audience for using another app. Moreover, Instant Articles go on to enhance user experience as the articles are served to users within seconds.

The articles load ultra-fast, and so users instantly get what they are looking when they read your articles.

There’s a big list of Pros of using Instant Articles.

Let’s see it for ourselves.
  • Ultra-fast mobile performance.
  • As much as 20% more Instant Articles are read on average.
  • 70% of users are less likely to abandon the article.
  • Users get rich media options such as high-resolution photos, videos, and interactive maps.
  • Customized visual display.
  • Branded design.
  • No additional steps required in the publishing workflow.
  • Provides an opportunity to monetize Facebook mobile users.
  • Users go on to click and share Instant Articles with their friends.
However, Instant Articles are not without drawbacks.

Let us see the Cons of using Instant Articles:
  • They have a high possibility of being subjected to Facebook algorithm changes.
  • Limited advertising revenue as with Instant Articles there is a limit to the number of ads you can show on an article.
  • Limited options for subscribing or signing up for newsletters.
  • Email forms, widgets, sidebars, shortcodes, and custom fields will not display.
  • Embedded interactive content may not display properly.
So, using Facebook Instant Articles eventually depends on your business goals and objectives. For example, News and Media Site can benefit greatly by adding Instant Articles.

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