Last month, Mark Zuckerberg hosted a Q&A from Facebook headquarters. During the event, he commented on many members want to be able to react to posts with more than a simple ‘Like’. Zuck shared that Facebook is working on adding functionality to allow users to indicate a greater range of emotional connection with posts (most news sources incorrectly reported that Mark had said a ‘Dislike’ button was on the way; apparently they didn’t bother to listen to his comments as he never said this). And now it’s here.
Yesterday, Facebook announced that they’ve begun testing new Reactions. These Reactions, shown above, give users a better way to show how they really feel about a post. Now they can show the sadness a post about your poor health brings or how angry people that litter make them. They can also celebrate things they love seeing. No longer will they have to comment with, “I wish I could like this twice!” Instead, they can use the ‘Wow’ or ‘Love’ reactions.
As with all changes to Facebook, they will likely have an impact on digital marketers. Here’s what you need to know.
What Marketers Need To Know About Facebook Reactions
Facebook is starting to test Reactions by first making them available to users in Ireland and Spain. Though the users are based in this area, global pages will begin to see these reactions within their Facebook Insights right away. If the testing proves successful, Facebook will look to continue rollout of Reactions to the rest of their users.
So what do these new Reactions mean to marketers? Facebook Reactions offer an even more in-depth way to see how your followers are responding to the content you post. Where previously they could only tell us that they either liked something or gave negative feedback (4 actions made up into 1 metric shown in your Facebook Insights which include Post Hides, Hides of All Posts, Reports of Spam, and Unlikes of Page). While ‘Likes’ and negative feedback are good indicators of a viewers’ reaction (you can learn more about negative feedback here), they didn’t tell the entire story. A simple good and bad reaction doesn’t cover the range of emotions people often feel when seeing a post. These new reactions tell us far more about how a Facebook post really hits someone.
The new Facebook Reactions are just another wakeup call to many marketers that it’s time to pay attention to what your following thinks about what you’re posting. While your Facebook Insights already offer a wealth of information about how your audience is reacting to what you share, these new Reactions bring a whole new level of understanding about how a post really was accepted by your following.
A Better Understanding Of Follower Feelings
The new Facebook Reactions give marketers a better understanding of how their posts are received. If you’re like most marketers who simply ignore what their followers are telling them and continue to share what you want them to see, rather than what they really want, it’s time to take notice. The addition of Reactions makes it more clear than ever to see how your Facebook following is responding to your posts. It’s time to take notice. Modify your social sharing strategy, and give them what they really want.
