You are the product manager for Facebook News. What success metric would you track and why?

Introduction

Tracking success metrics for Facebook News is crucial for product success and strategic decision-making. To approach this product success metrics problem effectively, I will follow a simple product success metric framework. I'll follow a structured framework that covers core metrics, supporting indicators, and risk factors while considering all key stakeholders.

Step 1

Product Context

Facebook News is a dedicated tab within the Facebook app that provides personalized news content to users. It aggregates articles from various publishers and presents them in a curated feed. The key stakeholders include:

1. Users: Seeking relevant, timely news content
2. Publishers: Looking to reach a wider audience and drive traffic
3. Advertisers: Interested in targeted ad placements
4. Facebook: Aiming to increase user engagement and time spent on the platform

The user flow typically involves:

1. Opening the Facebook app
2. Navigating to the News tab
3. Browsing headlines and summaries
4. Clicking on articles of interest
5. Reading full articles (often on publisher sites)
6. Engaging with content (likes, comments, shares)

Facebook News fits into the company's broader strategy of becoming a primary source of information for users, competing with traditional news aggregators and social media platforms like Twitter. Compared to competitors like Apple News or Google News, Facebook News leverages its vast user data to provide highly personalized content.

In terms of product lifecycle, Facebook News is in the growth stage, having launched in 2019 and gradually expanding to more markets.