Love them or hate them, Facebook reactions are here to stay. And while some businesses cringe at the idea of consumers having more possibilities than the traditional “like” button, many others embrace this emotional side of social media. As should you!
For Facebook, it wasn’t just about getting more emotional. They needed a gesture-based interaction aimed at people on-the-go and using the mobile app—people who are unable to comment when a post wasn’t entirely or simply likeable. We’ve all been there: outraged by something we read or see but not having enough free time to write a proper response. So press the Angry reaction, and voila! We expressed ourselves.
So how does all this affect your business? Well for starters, it gives people the ability to interact with your company on a new level, and it gives you an excuse to explore creative marketing opportunities. Here are a few of the other ways social media interactions will change the way your company experiences social media.
It’s great for research
Did people just “like” your posts before or did they “like” them but really love them? Or maybe they liked them because they hated them? Uh oh. Facebook reactions can clear that up. Now, you’ll know for sure whether a post angers your followers or moves them to laughter. Once you start to see a pattern, you can adjust your posts to continue receiving the appropriate emotional response.
Bypass the negative comments
Studies are starting to show that people are more likely to use a negative emoji rather than leave a negative comment. This is good for two reasons. One, you limit the negative comments left on your page, and two, you’ll receive an honest look into your posts, content, and business as a whole.
Get more detailed insights
Through your Facebook Page, you’ll be able to view statistics on how many reactions were used on both your post and the subsequent shares. See what’s working, what’s not, and how you can improve your shared content. Metrics and feedback are critical parts of sustaining a successful marketing campaign.
Engage with your audience even more
Before it was just ‘like,’ now it’s a range of emotions. This means you can connect with your audience on an even deeper level by knowing what makes them laugh, what makes them cry, and everything in between. You’ll get to see what posts elicit what responses and go forward from there.
Use reactions in your marketing strategy
You can use these new emojis to your advantage with creative posts like “sharing the love,” which are helpful in terms of engagement. For example, “Share the love and click the heart to be entered into a contest to a win a new iPhone.” You can easily see who used what reaction, so it’s a fun way to have your followers feel more involved in your posts.