In a previous blog we speculated that loving a post, rather than liking a post, is being perceived more favourably by the Facebook algorithm. It now appears that this will be the case in the very near future! The key question we must now ask ourselves as businesses is how we can use this to ensure greater success on Facebook.
In a recent statement to Mashable, Facebook confirmed that they feel when individuals use reactions such as love rather than a simple like, they are implicitly displaying a greater reaction to that post and therefore this should be rewarded by the Facebook algorithm. Liking shows Facebook you are interested in the post, but loving a post shows them you are really interested in it. The greater impact in the news feed of reactions means that, as a business, it is in our interest to ensure people are loving our posts, rather than simply liking it.
If you’re running competitions, advertising campaigns or whether it’s simply for an everyday post, it is greatly in your interest to push people towards loving your posts, rather than just liking them, in an effort to increase your Facebook Reach. So how can we do this?
1 – When running a competition consider asking people to ‘love’ the post to enter, in conjunction with perhaps liking your page or commenting on the post as well.
2 – ask for people’s opinions and get them to engage with a debate by using the reactions. Don’t fall in to the trap of giving your own opinion but controversy will always inspire engagement, so don’t be afraid to create a debate and ask your followers to use the reactions to engage with said debate.
3 – ask questions to your audience. For example, show a range of four products and ask people to ‘react’ to show their favourite. If you’re a photographer, show a black and white and a colour version of the same photo and ask people to display their favourite by using the reactions. The possibilities are endless!
So our advice would be to consider the tips above and do all that you can to ensure people are not just liking your posts, but using other reactions as well. This will have a great impact on your Facebook reach and therefore lead to greater Facebook success!
