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Is Mumsnet killing itself by posting on Facebook?

2 replies

noblegiraffe · 07/12/2025 12:06

Lots of posts recently have commented on how engagement with threads seems to have dropped, people aren't posting as much.

I was just on Facebook and a post from Mumsnet randomly came up as something Facebook thought I might be interested in. I was pretty surprised to see it had hundreds of replies. The first post said 'engage with the conversation here' with a link to the thread, but people were engaging with it on Facebook instead. And they were discussing the issue, giving advice to the OP, who was never going to read it.

MNHQ - what is the solution to this? Do you care so long as you are getting engagement somewhere even if the OP is missing out on the advice/discussion? I don't know how Facebook is monetised.

I think if I posted a thread and people were talking about me and my post elsewhere without me benefiting from the advice or having the ability to engage and respond (I would not be responding using my real name on Facebook to a post I've made as noblegiraffe!) I would be pretty annoyed.

I know we don't own anything we post on here and MNHQ can use it as they wish, but they seem to be shooting themselves in the foot killing discussion on here by encouraging it elsewhere.

Is Mumsnet killing itself by posting on Facebook?
Is Mumsnet killing itself by posting on Facebook?

JustineMumsnet · 08/12/2025 11:28

Hi Noblegiraffe,

Thanks for raising this. We totally get why it can feel odd to see a Mumsnet thread being discussed on Facebook when the OP isn’t there to read the replies. The aim of posting on Facebook isn’t to move the conversation off-site, but to bring new people in. Social posts help us reach a wider audience and find posters who might have useful experience or advice to contribute back on Mumsnet.

We absolutely want the heart of the conversation to stay here. A bigger and more diverse community means more wisdom, more perspectives and more support for the OPs who start threads. That’s why the link in those posts points straight back to the thread.

We keep a close eye on engagement levels and we do care about how discussions flow. If you ever feel a specific post hasn’t been handled well, or that something we’ve shared externally is having an unintended effect, please do say. Feedback genuinely helps us strike the right balance.

JustineMumsnet · 08/12/2025 12:09

oneinataxioneinacar · 08/12/2025 11:30

Hi @JustineMumsnet some of the threads shared are exactly the wrong sort of threads though. And by sharing them it makes MN look exploitative

By that I mean by all means share something interesting/generic. But surely you should pause for thought before posting very unique threads or those on clearly sensitive topics? There just doesn't seem to be any reflection going on about what threads it is appropriate to stick on Facebook and it sometimes looks really callous.

Ok thanks for the feedback - we do try to avoid sharing anything identifying or too sensitive but we'll certainly review it.

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