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[BREAKING] Facebook Will Launch 'Reactions' In the 'Next Few Weeks’
Ana Hoffman
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We first heard of Facebook's Reactions from CEO Mark Zuckerberg last October, and now we know that will be officially launched “in the next few weeks.”
What Are 'Reactions'?
The Reactions are the extension to Facebook’s like button and are meant to give people more ways to share their reaction to a post in a quick and easy way.
Facebook first started testing Reactions in October starting with Ireland and Spain.
Now it looks like Reactions will be released into the wild 'in the next few weeks', according to an interview with Facebook's chief product officer Chris Cox for Bloomberg Businessweek.
Why do we need Reactions in addition to the Like button?
Say your friend announces her divorce on the site. You want to support her, but do you feel comfortable clicking on the “like” button?
There’s a devastating earthquake in Nepal. The "Like" button doesn't really cut it in that case either.
Facebook’s goal: a universal vocabulary that lets people express emotion as they scroll through their feed.
What Will 'Reactions' Look Like?
Reactions will expand the range of Facebook-compatible human emotions from one to five.
LIKE
LOVE
SAD
ANGRY
WOW
There was also another proposed reaction - YAY, but it won't make it on the final Reactions list because “it was not universally understood.”
Facebook won’t give a specific date for when Reactions will be introduced in the U.S. and around the world, just that it’ll be “in the next few weeks.”
Cox says the data he has looks good and that users will take to Reactions, though he takes pains not to sound in any way triumphant.
“We roll things out very carefully,” he says. “And that comes from a lot of lessons learned.”
How Will Adding Reactions Affect your FB Page Reach?
This is something all FB Page owners will, no doubt, want to know.
As you know, Facebook shows you posts based on a complex algorithm that takes into account Likes, comments, shares, who your closest friends are, and so on.
Swapping out Likes for five emojis will naturally change the game.
As I previously reported in a Weekly Marketing Skinny I publish at TrafficGenerationCafe.com every Saturday morning, page owners will be able to see Reactions to all of their posts on Page insights.
And, at least for now, Reactions will have the same impact on ad delivery as Likes do.
That's it the insight we have so far.
What are your thoughts on Facebook's Reactions?
A welcomed changed?
Or changing Facebook's like button is like Coca-Cola messing with its secret recipe?
Ana Hoffman
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About Ana Hoffman: 90% of your problems can be solved by smart marketing. Solving the other 10% just requires good procrastination skills. Can't help you with the latter, but I do know a thing or two about smart marketing. Want me to prove it? Get my free "Mommy, Where Does Traffic Come From?" traffic report and we'll go from there.
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8yThey have done it! Facebook listened to you Ana Hoffman!
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8yYep, got to be a better alternative than just a 'like' or ignore option. Though I wish they'd add one more emoji to cover the "Oh, why did you bother sharing that?" reaction ;)
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8yNow how this will affect the like button? On buzzfeed users can react with gifts.
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8yGreat point, Peter Masters. I always did find the "Like everything you see" feature a tad disturbing :p
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8yThis must be a step in the right direction and it has always seemed bizarre to me that people Like sad stories, situations ansd events. We don't really Like them at all, as you quite rightly say. To me this can only be an improvement. Thanks Ana