RebelMouse Talk to Us
Rebel Insights

Try This New Video Preview on Facebook Instant Articles

Try This New Video Preview on Facebook Instant Articles

UPDATE: Facebook has temporarily stopped the autoplay of video previews on Instant Articles, but may revive the function later. Users can continue to add videos as a preview, and it is still a great tool to improve performance on your Instant Articles. Happy posting!

There's a new function for Facebook Instant Articles that shows a video preview on mobile. The option has been successful for some of our clients at RebelMouse, and we want you to give it a try too!

Facebook now has a video preview for Facebook Instant Articles. Here's what it looks like on the native mobile app:

How to Enable Video Preview for Facebook Instant Articles

On your Facebook Page, head over to "Publishing Tools" in the navigation menu at the top. Then, in the left-hand navigation toward the bottom, look for the Instant Articles header. Below it, click "Configuration." Once there, click "Settings" to open up the menu and make sure that the "Use video in News Feed link preview when available" box is clicked:

Next, grab the URL of a video on Facebook you want to use as a preview. You can also use a GIF and convert it to an MP4 file via a free site, such as this one.

Copy the link and add it to the "Video" field in the Social Copy tab in the right navigation:

Click "Save" and you should be all set. Remember, this is just for Facebook Instant Articles, so you will need to have Instant Articles turned on and working. You will only be able to see the preview video on mobile. Happy posting!

Build on a Better PlatformReady to See More?
Request a Proposal
People on a train station
Rebel Insights

RebelMouse Q1 2021 Platform Updates

platform updates

Speed, performance, and Core Web Vitals enhancements

Click here to read our Q2 2021 platform performance updates!

At RebelMouse, we pour our souls into making sure that our platform is always the most modern, high-performance CMS on the market. In fact, we invested over $100,000 worth of hours into our platform in Q1 2021 alone. This has resulted in updates and performance enhancements that publishers would have to pay for on their own to make happen on any other platform, such as WordPress. We're proud to be at a level of scale where we can invest this way into our platform, and we will continue to invest at this rate every quarter moving forward just as we have in the past.

Here are the major updates that we've added to the platform in Q1.

Keep reading... Show less
seo strategy
Featured

The RebelMouse Approach to SEO

search engine optimization

An SEO Strategy That Wins With Every Publish

How exactly Google determines search ranking largely remains a mystery for publishers, but what we do know is that the search engine continuously rolls out updates to its algorithm. And while sometimes these updates are small and nearly unnoticeable, other times they result in massive changes around the way Google crawls content, often disrupting the rankings of webpages all across the globe.

With each one of these algorithm changes comes a new approach to search strategy. It's a lot to keep up with in a competitive digital landscape. Publishers are already burdened with the task of creating high-performing quality content that's easy to find on Google and, in turn, easily shared across social. It's a job that can't be solved with advertising dollars either. It's estimated that nearly 80% of users disregard paid search results. Pair this with the fact that 93% of all online experiences begin with a search query and you're left with the realization that it's never been more important to prioritize search engine optimization.

The good news is that RebelMouse has a unique approach to SEO that leverages the tools available to us from the open web alongside our proprietary technology that enables users to win key phrases with every publish. The best part? The platform is designed to empower the people who live closest to content: writers and editors. Here's how it works.

Keep reading... Show less
Build on a Better PlatformReady to See More?
Request a Proposal
how to make images seo friendly
Rebel Insights

Keep Search a Priority With SEO-Friendly Image Filenames

search engine optimization

There are a lot of factors that go into a successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, including performance, structured data, and, of course, choosing the right keyword(s). Our proprietary search technology helps content creators prep every article for success on search. This all-encompassing approach includes the use of SEO-friendly image filenames.

On RebelMouse, if you assign an alt tag to an image in Entry Editor, that alt tag will also become the image's file name. Briefly, alt tags describe images for search engines, and also allow people using screen readers to know what the image is without actually being able to see it. Adding your desired search phase to every alt text field, and in turn every image file name, will reinforce its relevance to Google's crawler, bringing you one step closer to the top of search returns.

Keep reading... Show less
what is google search console insights
Rebel Insights

Fuel a Data-Driven Content Strategy With Google Search Console Insights

search engine optimization

At RebelMouse, we believe a data-driven content strategy is the key to success. Luckily, the era of "post and pray" is far behind us. Creators no longer need to create articles blindly and hope that they are successful. There are now tools that can help creators understand the kind of content that resonates with their desired audiences.

That's why we are excited to let you know about Google Search Console's Insights feature. According to Google, this new data view will help content creators and site owners answer the following questions:

  • What are your best performing pieces of content?
  • How are your new pieces of content performing?
  • How do people discover your content across the web?
  • What do people search for on Google Search before they visit your content?
  • Which article refers users to your website and content?
Keep reading... Show less
Build on a Better PlatformReady to See More?
Request a Proposal

FOLLOW

Build on a Better PlatformReady to See More?
Request a Proposal

    REBEL CASE STUDIES

    REBEL INSIGHTS

    wordpress vip alternative
    what is rebelmouse
    Why RebelMouse? The Best Centralized, Social CMS
    how to set up facebook instant articles
    content marketing platform
    How Axios Built on RebelMouse
    Why Am I Seeing This Link?

    RESOURCES