It’s been about one month since Facebook launched its Reactions technology, which broadens the way users can react to posts by allowing them to choose from six different emojis. Although the ubiquitous “like” button is still available, users can now also choose from “love,” “laugh,” “wow,” “sad” and “angry.” Here’s what brands need to know about Facebook reactions when it comes to incorporating it into their own social media strategies.
There’s no dislike button. What happened to the “dislike” button that Facebook users have demanded for years? It’s not there, and that’s good news for brands because businesses no longer need to worry about users “disliking” a post regarding their latest product, service or content. People may express discontent another way (the “angry” icon, for example), but for most brands, it’s a safe guess that only inflammatory content would provoke a reaction of “anger.”
Everyone can see users’ reactions. To see how many people reacted with “wow,” “love,” “laugh,” etc., simply click on the link of your post. One important note: “Everyone” means everyone, not just the admin or the fans of the page. If you can see the reactions, everyone who looks at the post can see them. For brands that want to check out what their competition is doing on Facebook, this can be useful when researching competitors. Posts that make your competitors’ fans “angry” can be content you avoid posting yourself, and posts they “love” can be the type of content you can incorporate into your own Facebook strategy.
Comments do not have reactions. For brands, the fact that users can like the comments of other users make can either be an asset or a liability. Major brands can attest to this; how many times have you seen an angry comment on a brand’s page that has earned hundreds of likes? It happens all the time. Fortunately, users are still limited only to liking the comments of other users, rather than reacting. That should evoke a sigh of relief for brands that are concerned about the brand image consequences of social media engagement.
A brand that wants real results from social media needs more than good content; it needs detailed strategy. Desmond & Louis Public Relations can assist with this, along with traditional PR and marketing services.