What Does "Following" Mean on Facebook? The Complete Guide to Facebook‘s Follow Feature

Facebook‘s "follow" feature allows you to see someone‘s public updates in your News Feed without becoming friends. Many people assume following works the same way on Facebook as other social networks like Instagram or Twitter. However, Facebook has put its own spin on following.

In this detailed guide, we‘ll explore what following means on Facebook, how it works, and key tips every user should know.

How Following Typically Works on Social Media

To provide context, let‘s quickly recap how following functions on most social platforms.

On sites like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, following someone means:

You see their posts in your main feed automatically without approval.
They don‘t get notified when you follow them.
Following is public and two-way. You both see each other‘s content.

For example, if you follow @Nike on Instagram, their photos and Stories will populate your feed. @Nike won‘t have to approve you as a follower or get notified. And because it‘s two-way, @Nike could also see your posts if they followed you back.

This mutual, open access helps people discover content and accounts to follow based on their interests. It‘s a core part of platforms like Instagram.

How Facebook‘s Follow Feature Differs

Facebook introduced its follow feature back in 2011. Since then, it has diverged from the standard model on sites like Instagram in a few key ways:

Follows are private

When you follow someone on Facebook, they will not receive any notification. The only exception is if you follow a Facebook Page, since Pages get alerts about new followers.

But for regular personal profiles, your new follow is completely private. This allows you to keep up with people you know without directly connecting with them on Facebook.

Following is one-way

On Facebook, following is not a mutual connection by default. When Person A follows Person B, here‘s what happens:

Person A sees Person B‘s public posts in their News Feed.
Person B does not automatically see Person A‘s posts in their feed.

So by default, following only works in one direction. For two-way access, you need to become Facebook friends.

You must be friends to see all content

Due to privacy settings, Facebook limits the posts that followers can see to "public" content only. To view someone‘s full profile including private posts, you must be confirmed friends.

So there‘s an incentive to send friend requests rather than just follow people. Facebook uses this to encourage reciprocal connections on the platform.

How Facebook Determines Followers‘ News Feeds

What determines what followers see from accounts they follow? Facebook‘s complex News Feed algorithm considers several factors:

User interactions – Posts with high engagement are shown more.
Post privacy settings – Only "Public" posts appear for followers.
Follower count – Accounts with more followers tend to get better News Feed distribution.
Post recency – Newer posts get priority over older content.

So the posts you see from those you follow depends on both your engagement and the account‘s overall popularity. There are no guarantees of reach.

Step-by-Step Guide to Following Someone on Facebook

Ready to start following people on Facebook? Here‘s exactly how to do it:

On Mobile:

Open the Facebook app and find the profile you want to follow. You can search names at the top of the app homepage.
Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the profile.
Select Follow from the dropdown menu.

That‘s it! You‘ll now start seeing their public posts in your News Feed.

On Desktop:

Go to the profile page of the account you want to follow.
Click the Follow button on their intro section below their profile photo.
Confirm by clicking the Follow button again.

You‘re all set! Their public updates will now show in your News Feed when you log in.

Note: If you don‘t see the Follow option, the user may have set their profile to “Friends only” in Facebook‘s Follower Privacy settings. In that case, you‘ll need to send a friend request.

Unfollowing Someone on Facebook

To stop seeing someone‘s posts, you can easily unfollow them:

Mobile: Go to their profile, tap the three dots, and select Unfollow.
Desktop: Click Following next to the Follow button and confirm you want to unfollow.

Unfollowing removes their content from your News Feed but keeps your profile connection intact. You can still re-follow them later on.

Friends vs. Followers – What‘s the Difference?

Facebook draws a distinction between friends and followers. What sets them apart?

Friends – You both see all posts in your News Feeds. A mutual, reciprocal connection.
Followers – A one-way connection. Only you see their public posts.

Friends have access to more content since privacy settings are expanded. Friends can also comment and interact more freely with each other‘s profiles.

Being Facebook friends also makes you followers automatically. But unfollowing a friend just stops their posts showing up – it doesn‘t remove the friendship itself.

Here are some examples showing the differences:

Friendship Status	Person A sees Person B‘s Posts?	Person B sees Person A‘s Posts?
Friends	Yes	Yes
Person A follows Person B	Yes	No
Person B follows Person A	No	Yes
Neither follows	No	No

So generally speaking, friendship implies a deeper, more open connection on Facebook. Following is slightly more detached and limited.

Can People See I‘ve Followed Them?

In most cases, no. When you follow an individual Facebook user, it remains completely anonymous. They will receive zero notifications about your new follow.

The one exception is when you follow Facebook Pages. Due to Page transparency requirements, Page admins get alerts when new users follow their Page.

When someone follows a Page, the admin will get a notification saying "[Your Name] started following your Page [Page Name]." Pages can see a list of followers and their profiles as well.

So keep in mind that Pages will know if you follow them. But regular personal profiles won‘t find out. Your new follows are invisible to other users (unless you make them public using Facebook‘s Lists feature).

Expert Tips for Following on Facebook

As a long-time social media marketing strategist, here are my top pro tips for leveraging Facebook‘s follow feature:

Follow trending Pages in your industry to stay on top of new products, trends, and updates. Their public posts will automatically appear in your News Feed.
Follow influencers or thought leaders you admire to get inspired. You‘ll gain exposure to great content.
Use Lists to manually group followers and curate what they see. This lets you filter feed content.
Funnel cold prospects into following your Page first before asking more directly for likes, shares, or conversions.
Segment your followers by geography, demographic, or engagement level. Then tailor content accordingly.
Remember only "Public" posts appear for those who just follow you. Keep that in mind when posting content.

These tips leverage the unique advantages of Facebook‘s follow feature compared to standard friend connections.

The Growth of Facebook‘s Follow Feature

Initially after its launch, Facebook‘s follow feature saw only limited adoption. In Facebook‘s early days, reciprocal friend connections were the dominant model.

However, data shows that following has steadily grown over the past decade:

In March 2011, Facebook Pages had about 6 million followers combined.
By April 2018, there were over 275 million Page followers.
Today, Facebook Pages boast nearly 1 billion total followers.

Date	Total Facebook Page Followers
March 2011	6 million
April 2018	275 million
January 2023	~1 billion

The introduction of public Pages transformed following into a vital part of Facebook‘s ecosystem. Follower counts now signal credibility and reach for brands and public figures alike.

Additionally, the percentage of users following friends has grown 29% year-over-year according to Facebook‘s internal data. People appreciate the one-way connection following enables.

Facebook has indicated that investments to improve followers‘ News Feeds are planned for 2024 and beyond. So the feature‘s future continues to brighten.

The Takeaway: How Is Facebook Following Different?

While following seems straightforward, Facebook has put its own spin on the feature:

It‘s private – you can follow without others being notified.
It‘s asymmetrical – following someone doesn‘t mean they‘ll follow you back.
You‘re limited to public posts unless you also become Facebook friends.

But similarities remain too – mainly, you get to see someone‘s updates in your feed by following them.

In summary:

Following someone on Facebook makes their public posts appear in your News Feed automatically.
Following is anonymous and one-way, unlike mutual connections on sites like Instagram.
To access full profiles and private content, Facebook encourages reciprocal friendships.
Facebook Pages get alerts when you follow them, but regular users do not.

So the next time someone asks what following means on Facebook, you‘ll know exactly how to explain the nuances compared to other platforms. Whether you want to stay up-to-date with friends‘ posts or get closer to your audience as a creator, Facebook‘s follow feature has you covered.