Earlier this year, social media giant Facebook introduced a new feature users have been clamoring for since the website’s inception: users can now not only “Like” a post, but can use a variety of other animated emoji-type icons to express their feelings. These include Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry, although most users will admit they had something simpler in mind, like a “Dislike” button. However, these icons seem to be getting quite a bit of positive feedback from Facebook users, and they can be very useful for businesses looking to better promote themselves socially.

Why Do People Use Facebook Reactions?

Essentially, the Facebook Reactions feature allows users to more specifically voice their opinion about which was posted, allowing them to better interact with the post and poster. Some people would rather not comment on a post, as it could welcome unwanted conflict, but simply noting that they are angry about something by using the Reactions feature is enough for them to feel their opinion was heard. Also, users are no longer limited to liking a post which could be sad or angry in nature; it can be frustrated knowing whether a like on a sad post comes off as supportive, or as cruel. Now, users can avoid any confusion or miscommunication by using Facebook Reactions.

How do Reactions Help Businesses on Facebook?

When a business uses social media marketing as a way to better understand the opinions of their customers, it can be hard to do so if not all users are comfortable commenting. With Facebook Reactions, businesses can get a better idea of what their customers think about changes by simply looking at the Reactions alone. Simply put, Facebook interactions help businesses get more accurate information about the opinions of their customers, as evidenced by the Reactions for any of their posts. If something stirs an overwhelming number of Love reactions, the company can know that their customers really back the idea, but if it stirs a number of Angry reactions, companies will know to make some changes. This feature helps businesses by allowing them to tailor themselves to the needs of their customers, based on the reactions they provide.

One feature of Facebook Reactions that any business owner should keep in mind is that for the time being, the algorithm which determines which pages will show up on an individual’s timeline remains as it did for Likes; whichever reactions are given to a post will signal for Facebook to show more of that page’s content on someone’s timeline, meaning that even posts with a lot of “Angry” reactions will show up organically in a number of user’s timelines.

Any business owner knows the importance of understanding the opinions of their customers, and with Facebook’s new Reactions feature, this can be done easier than ever. Start testing out the system, and post something out of the ordinary just to see what the Reactions will be. This will give you an excellent idea of just how Facebook Reactions have changed social media marketing for the better.