People are creatures of habit who can tolerate a little change now and then. However, when it comes to change, it is often a double-edged sword and implementation is usually bumpy. On the one hand, there is the need and enthusiasm to try out new things, but on the other hand, people are reluctant to give up the familiar environment. Especially not when it comes to the look and feel of Facebook – an environment that only exists online, but in which over a billion people are already present almost around the clock.
With the introduction of reactions – the cousins of the like – Facebook has made the biggest change since 2009. Back then, the thumbs up was first used, which subsequently revolutionized communication in the online world. Will Facebook hit the jackpot again with its attempt at a more mature, differentiated form of likes? Facebook justified the major change with the strong desire of users to be able to react appropriately to the diverse contributions. Because people often prefer to forego a detailed comment and just want to make a quick statement.
Non-verbal Communication in the 21st Century
The need to express one’s opinion or mood with just one click is not just a result of superficiality and laziness. For many people, this is not only a more pleasant form of expression, but also a necessary one on Facebook. You can easily show the community and your friends what you like, what you enjoy, so diversity is needed for further expressions of personality. People communicate mainly non-verbally anyway, so it’s only natural that they would like to continue this virtually. The new moods invite people to interact more and in different ways.
While the announcement of the change resulted in a huge number of comments, some of them mocking, the reactions were immediately tested everywhere in practice. Each emotion emoji is added up with the traditional likes and, as usual, is shown numerically as the sum of the reactions below the post. What’s new? The 3 most common reactions are shown in a kind of preview next to the number. This way you can see at a glance whether a post or its content is receiving a positive or negative response.
Don’t risk any trouble!
Up to now, every emoji has been counted equally as a reaction to a post and the Facebook algorithm simply adds them up. However, it is conceivable and Facebook has already indicated that after intensive observation of users and their diverse information, reactions will be evaluated differently in the algorithm in the future. Since the News Feed primarily wants to present users with content that is important to them or that appeals to them, posts that predominantly make them “sad” and “angry” will probably be shown less often.
There is great potential in the diverse feedback from the community, because as a company or page manager you can respond to it and make finer adjustments to your marketing. In any case, the diverse reactions must be considered carefully and in relation to the statement made in the post, because not every angry smiley represents a negative interaction against the Facebook user or the page.
What represents a major innovation with unimagined possibilities for marketing and communication is definitely exciting, entertaining and a new challenge.
Here’s to a happy reaction, because liking alone is so 2009!