Impact of Facebook “Reactions” on corporate communications

First of all: No, the Dislike button on Facebook is not coming – but a whole range of other Facebook “Reactions” or emojis, which are intended to make it easier for users to make their state of mind public via posts on Facebook. As reported by Die Zeit, 6 symbols are coming: The new symbols represent love (a heart), laughter (a corresponding emoji symbol labeled “Haha”), approval (“Yay”), surprise (“Wow”), sadness (face with a tear) and anger (red in the face).

Facebook “Reactions” are currently being tested in Spain and Ireland; a release date for all other countries is not yet known. So there is still time to strategically prepare for the impact of Facebook “Reactions”. Why?

Impact of Facebook “Reactions” on the willingness of companies to accept criticism

The willingness of companies to criticize has just arrived on social media. The initial fear of negative postings by B2B companies on social networks has decreased significantly in recent years, according to a study by the 1st Working Group on Social Media in B2B Communication.
However, there are still no empirical values that prepare companies for the impact of Facebook “Reactions”: Anyone who now thinks that Facebook plays a rather subordinate role for B2B companies is mistaken: although Facebook has caught up with Xing in terms of usage, it still occupies a top position with 82.7% and takes up the most time in the B2B sector with daily updates, as the study by the 1st Working Group on Social Media in B2B Communication shows. And it is precisely the time required that continues to be a major hurdle for B2B when implementing social media activities. This time burden is now being put to the test as companies seek to become masters of the empathy generated by their posts and face the impact of Facebook “reactions”. Social media analysis will certainly change and become more sophisticated, but the willingness to engage in dialog with the senders of emojis will also have to increase. Why?

Facebook “Reactions” simplify mobile use

The fact that Facebook has recognized that you can’t “like” everything – you can also simply comment negatively on it – is certainly a positive thing.
But is it the same in terms of user behavior?
The willingness to give something a simple like is almost automatic and is not linked to the expectation of a response. However, a negative comment or complaint should certainly be taken seriously by the recipient, as a one-off critical comment can quickly turn into a shitstorm on many other channels if ignored.
However, a critical comment on your own Facebook profile is certainly a more considered action than simply clicking on the Like button.
There’s no telling what impact negative Facebook “Reactions” can have on businesses: As Susan Ganeshan CMO of Clarabridge noted in her article “What Facebook ‘Reactions’ Will Mean for Savvy Marketers,” it’s important to recognize that Facebook “Reactions” are generated with the intention of facilitating mobile usage and being able to express empathy without having to write an additional comment. As a result, the number of negative comments may decrease, but it is also possible that the number of comment-free, negative expressions of empathy will increase. This makes it all the more important to link the negative comments to the corresponding emojis and analyze them.

[Tweet “Facebook “Reactions” require more willingness to engage in dialog @comMUNICHation”]

When people “rage” without comment, companies see a wave of communication management rolling towards them. If the reason for the anger is not obvious, it is necessary to respond to the criticism with targeted questions. You should not only follow up with statements of sadness or anger, but also with astonishment or the laughing symbol. Because whether the post is really funny or the company is being laughed at makes a small but subtle difference. Incidentally, Facebook “Reactions” recognize neither irony nor sarcasm.

As much as differentiation is a way of communicating correctly and companies can also benefit positively from negative Facebook “Reactions”, it is important to learn how to deal with them professionally.
Companies are well advised to adapt to multi-layered corporate communication on social networks in order to be prepared for the impact of Facebook “Reactions” with the right comment in every case – Like?
Or what Facebook “Reactions” do you have to this post?

From Jacqueline Althaller