Publishers including The New York Times, BuzzFeed and the BBC have signed up to Facebook’’s new ‘Instant Article’ tool, allowing them to post directly on the social network.

Facebook said the new proposition will speed up the content offering on its News Feed, and offers publishers greater control over brand experience and monetisation opportunities. It is also allowing publishers to track data and traffic.

Nine titles have signed up to the scheme, including National Geographic, NBC News, The Atlantic, Spiegel, Bild and The Guardian.

“Fundamentally, this is a tool that enables publishers to provide a better experience for their readers on Facebook,” said Chris Cox, Facebook’’s chief product officer. “Instant Articles lets them deliver fast, interactive articles while maintaining control of their content and business models.”

New York Times Company chief executive Mark Thompson added: “The New York Times already has a significant and growing audience on Facebook. We’’re participating in Instant Articles to explore ways of growing the number of Times users on Facebook, improving their experience of our journalism and deepening their engagement.

“We have a long tradition of meeting readers where they are and that means being available not just on our own sites, but on the social platforms frequented by many current and potential Times users.”

With many publishers, most recently Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, refreshing their own platforms, the importance of proprietary platforms versus social hubs is becoming more contested.

Last month, Newsweek Europe editor-in-chief Richard Addis warned against the dangers of handing over too much controls to social media platforms: “I can see a future where Facebook becomes the publisher, and we all just become content providers for Facebook, which is quite scary.”