The New Facebook Reactions or Emoticons – We’ve learnt and Share what they could mean for your Home Business!
In today’s post you are going to learn how the new “Facebook Reactions” feature works and the potential impact on marketing, your business and users behavior for tomorrow. This was one of the questions that arose from our Survey of What topics yo would like us to share, and the next post will be answering another question too!
I know you’ve already met your new Facebook emoticons, pretty aren’t they? Trust me I used to think that “Wow” emoji meant Ouch….lol 
Watch 2 min Video for How the Facebook Reactions work
NEW FACEBOOK FEATURES LAUNCHEDNEW FACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT FEATURES LAUNCHED SUPER EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS. WATCH THE VIDEO FOR THE LONG AWAITED SUN, LIKE, LOVE WOW FACEBOOK UPDATE FEATURES…For more fun stuff and training on how to grow your facebook reach jump on the FREE WEBINAR Tonight 9pm EST for 45 mins only www.juleskalpauli.com/training
Posted by Rise with Julie & Paul Kalungi Ace Group on Wednesday, February 24, 2016
And I imagine you thought they were just a thumb, heart and 4 little smileys, come on admit it! Question is what do these Facebook reactions popularly called the new Facebook emojis mean for your business? I am a curious type so I dug a lil deeper and…
In this post I share what I’ve learnt with my ear to the ground. It’ll help you understand some new trends as a home business owner or online entrepreneur who leverages Facebook for your business growth…Drum roll please. 
So these Facebook emoticons, are they an alien force coming to getcha, or are they telling us something about Facebook’s next changes?
You bet they are and this is what I learnt from a TechCrunch update!
A few months ago Facebook announced the use of “Facebook Reactions” and rolled them out to some test geographical areas and a select group of business users and influencers. Last couple of weeks they rolled them out to you and I – on our time lines! On the face of it, this may seem like a great functionality upgrade…or is it? Well I suspected there was a whole lot more to this for the business user. Facebook reactions product manager Sammi Krug posed this question to CNNMoney:
“Are we giving people more tools to express themselves more accurately and authentically?“
[bctt tweet=”Is Facebook giving people more tools to express themselves more accurately and authentically”]
You see prior to the Facebook Reactions’ launch it was suggested by Social Media Influencers that Facebook has plans to implement Facebook ads inside of its messenger app.
So what has this got to do with Facebook reactions and your biz…? Well Advertising, monetization that’s what. You will soon see……
“Ads inside of Messenger, though different from those that appear elsewhere on Facebook! They will only appear in message threads with businesses. Which will only be able to serve ads to people who previously contacted them via Messenger.” WHAT?
In the same update that brought Facebook Reactions, there was also a change made to another part of the timeline that you might not have noticed. User comments on posts by businesses no longer show whilst scrolling the News Feeds. Here’s an example…Have you shared a fan page post to your private newsfeed lately? The comments only show on the fan page not on your newsfeed!
[bctt tweet=”Facebook is taking emphasis away from post engagement via comments”]
On the face of it, according to HubSpot, clearly Facebook is taking emphasis away from post engagement via comments. See lots of people simply comment things like “Nice one”, “Lol”, “Good job”, “thanks” etc. No real meat to their comment…Or the majority just “like” and bounce. Facebook changed the algorithm and now it’s facing the results i.e. some people tag those they specifically want to see their content. Thus by passing the algorithm.
So Facebook now wants, well more Facebook Reactions…More engagement, more action. Coz even the likes have become scarce for many…have you visited your friend’s newsfeed lately? For many it’s like a solo act….they are posting for themselves. No one is engaging at all coz FB isn’t showing their content and the poor buggers don’t even know it!
So it seems from Chinese whispers , Facebook Reactions could be a replacement for “Comments.” It’s an attempt to improve on-post engagement. BUT Facebook haven’t promoted this new functionality. Most simply don’t know how they appear and can’t be bothered to find out either!
For you as a business user, the original use of the comments section was for your potential clients or customers to engage with your business. Now it’s not the case.
Why?
Because Facebook is not as social as it used to be. It’s more a business advertising platform and thus streamlining its services for that purpose.
This overhaul is thus also attempt at keeping Facebook fresh, and deepening people’s attachment to the website and messenger app!
The new Facebook reactions functionality, the plethora of changes, and the planned addition of Messenger ads all prove the above points. Facebook is also subtly forcing you the business user to use Messenger to communicate with your customers or prospects! It’s shifting goal posts from Comments to Messaging. In fact surveys have shown this Facebook push into video, shopping, messaging and media, shopping over the past 12+ months!
Messenger is a fully usable communication resource for chat, email, call and video calling! So Facebook wants you to use it instead of taking the customer to “Skype” or to your phone! When it was first launched it had such poor quality video audio it wasn’t even funny…That has changed a heck of a lot. I now hold most of my Business Calls via Facebook Messenger, unless it’s a tutorial then its Skype or Join.me!
While Mark Zuckerberg denied it, surveys show that there was a drop in Facebook usage in 2015. According to CNNMoney:
[bctt tweet=”surveys show that there was a drop in Facebook usage in 2015 #facebookmarketing”]
“A shrinking number of people are posting status updates or uploading photos, according to a recent GlobalWebIndex survey of tens of thousands of Internet users from 34 global regions.”
Facebook is still the most used social media platform hands down compared to LinkedIn, Instagram its baby, or Twitter.
BUT, it did notice the drop in users to other resources like Snapchat , Instagram (which it owns) and WhatsApp! In another super business move, Facebook noticed how much people use WhatsApp so it recently went and bought it. By the way if you are a WhatsApp user you might like to check out a fellow entrepreneur, Renard Moreau’s post on pending WhatsApp updates that may affect you soonest. Could be one of Facebook’s firs moves to cleaning house and monetizing this app even more I betcha!
Back to Facebook, have you noticed that it’s a lot faster to send a message directly to a business page than commenting on someone’s timeline post lately? If you can find it! Remember the “see first” tool? If you don’t know what am talking about check the “See First” Facebook update here & how it affects you!
Hang on to your pants because this year you are going to see lots of Facebook changes and additions. More to support the existing ones like; See first, Facebook Live, Social Integration for fan pages, which Facebook has already monetized at $50/year for fan page owners. There are likely to be more functionality updates to support said changes.
What are the Benefits of The Facebook Reactions For Online Marketers?
Here is something potentially super exciting for the advertiser; you are gonna get additional data about your prospects: consumer sentiments, emotions or reactions, preferences and trends. This is absolutely fantastic for you as you launch your next Facebook Ad soon! But for now “Love,” “Aha,” “wow” and “Angry” all count as a “Like.” How can you tell then?
Well, access Facebook Insights on the post, by clicking the reach number of a post right above the reaction buttons, as shown below:
You see a new page similar to the image below with a break-down of your post reach including the new reactions!
Super tip: If you are curious as I am, then you want to know which specific users and their reactions. Simply go to the post and click on each emoticon for the list of names….
Now you have a better understanding of how your audience reacts to your content and thus can target better as Facebook sorts out a more meaningful marketing insights algorithm .
[bctt tweet=”have a better understanding of how your audience reacts to your #contentmarketing #First100″]
Pay attention to the Facebook reaction post trends on your fan page. Focus on the “Love reaction” and create or share more of the same and similar targeted content. Improving your reach = more traffic = more sales=kerching! 
Remember you need to use your most recent posts to get a better baseline!
In the meantime here’s what to do as a business and Fan Page Owner:
- Do check your Fan Page inbox, chances you got lots of messages & moderate.
- Check your posts insights as suggested above and take note of your “lov-ers” and “wow-ers”. Serve them more. Reach out personally to them with a thank you and have a good ole chinwag, get to know them better.
- Pay attention to any “angry” users and why. It may be the nature of the post or they are expressing their displeasure at your content by a single click! Many hoping to hide behind that…Not to you! See how best you can serve them. If repeat complainers, remove them from your fan page!
- Better believe it that the new emoticons are changing the face of engagement and the quality of your content better be great as people can now show their displeasure, without saying a word, not good for your reach! So it’s imperative that you get to know your audiences better, share value lovable content, and appreciate your fans and followers.
- Expect to see an increase in messages direct to your Fan Pages. So set aside time to manage this because it is going to be your main communication channel for your potential customers. And it doesn’t matter if you ain’t connected on Facebook your messages will not go to the “Other folder” which by the way was also removed or tweaked!
- Share with your Audience how the Facebook reactions and emoticons update work. Many don’t know how and soon that will lose you reach!
- Do you link your Facebook Videos to your YouTube Channel or linked video or Playlist? Tut tut you are missing out on traffic Learn how you can in this full tutorial!
- This is our best tip; Learn How to Leverage Facebook and other Social Media irrespective of their changes. Consider this your VIP invite to our LIVE Webinar on off the beaten trail training tips and tricks to help you grow your business
And……well that’s all I know for now. Rest assured I will keep you posted and refresh this post as I get to know more. So why not bookmark it, coz this is only the beginning for you as a business user. You done have a fan page? WHAT….! 
And if you ain’t yet active in a Facebook Social share group; well your page is either a hive of activity and that’s more moderation for you, so not needed. Or it’s more quiet than a cemetery over there…! Get with the program and join a group of like-minded entrepreneurs to help your reach increase, AND BE ACTIVE, peeking from he sidelines aint never paid the bills. Consider this a VIP invitation to Social Bloggers Hub! And if you simply link drop, you will be removed from most groups, that’s spamming…trust us we know!
MORE FACEBOOK MARKETING RESOURCES FOR YOU:
And in our next 2 posts we are gonna wrap up March Social Media & Email Marketing by sharing how we increased our email subscriptions by 210% and you too can, awesome isn’t it!
And Just before we forget, on a very exciting note…
If you are a YouTuber, use or intend to grow your business via YouTube then You Are gonna Love the Training This MUST ATTEND Wednesday Training. We are super excited about this, can you tell 🙂 …You’ll be able to learn from The Video Marketing Expert himself about New Powerful YouTube Features
So what have I missed on the new Facebook Like Buttons? Have you got value from this post? The do feel free t share with your friends, like every image is shareable esp. on Facebook. 
Absolutely Share any questions, inquiries and thoughts in a comment below.
You do deserve more
Live Learn Love
Julie Syl Kalungi
Skype: Julie.Kalungi1
Email: julie[at]Juleskalpauli.com
Follow me: Syl_JuleKalungi on Periscope
Considering Coaching? Check out our Work with us tab and Survey where we Help People Everyday.
P.S: IF YOU DON’T HAVE A LIST OR YOU HAVE A NON RESPONSIVE LIST, AND HAVEN’T MADE MORE THAN 10 SALES OR RECRUITED ANYONE YET, YOU NEED THIS COURSE – LIST BUILDING AND CONVERSION COURSE!
Awesome post Julie! Lots to think about. Facebook has always been a slower site when it comes to interactions (well at least for me). I’m more of a Twitter and Instagram girl where engagement tends to happen the second you post. I’ve thought a lot about how I could increase engagement on my Facebook page but given their ever changing algorithms it always feels like a lost battle from the start. I have to admit, I get a lot more excited when I get a direct message from a fan then when they click like or one of the other reactions on my post. I do think the reactions are useful though. They can work as a clearer indicator of how the content is received. Love is more enthusiastic than a like for example. Thanks for the info.
Hi Jo,
What a pleasure to hear from you. And thanks for your insightful contribution. We love the new emojis esp with the new updates which I shares in a Live broadcast yesterday on Facebook. They are coming into their own. Facebook Page is where we send our Twitter & Instagram fans to get more social and the new updates are making it such fun for the business user! 🙂
Julie Syl
I am loving the FB reactions – very cute and there has always been a need for more than just a like. Well done you for digging that bit deeper and sharing all the info with us. Facebook is quite fickle, I am actually loving Twitter as the community is very engaged and active. Less work for more oomph – still posting on Facebook but Twitter is my number 1 right now.
Hey Emily,
What a pleasure to see you here. Indeed I agree with you Twitter has spruced up lots and Facebook is loosing the grip. Lots.
Those cute Emojis precede another monetization drive…and We await how hard it will hit or how best to leverage it…
Julie Syl~
Great article with a ton of insightful and valuable information. Thanks for sharing.
Our absolute pleasure Lisa, glad you got value and find it insightful. Thanks for swinging by 🙂
Julie Syl~
Such a great information to all, I love the new facebook Emoji’s and I’m so glad that you share this with us
Hi Riza, we are glad you love them and got value 🙂 Thanks for your time!
J&PK~
I love the new reactions. I am still on the fence on them for business, though, although it’s not like we have a choice. I have not really given business page messages a thought – interesting perspective. Personally, I prefer comments and shares over likes or reactions any day because they are much ore likely to increase my reach and engagement, which is my aim. I guess we can only wait and see how it all plays out.
Hi Lisa,
We are all waiting the next move from Mr Zuckerberg. In the mean time keep sharing value on your page. Indeed we all prefer comments and shares than likes and reactions. Yet you better get used to those lil fellas they are intended to replace comments…or so we are lead to believe!
Julie Syl~
Things are changing so much these days! I think they are really good for the personal side of social media but not sure about for businesses, I can’t see them being a massive impact but you never know. I guess time will tell
Hi Hannah,
Personal social media died a soft death a couple of years ago hun! Its all about monetizing now. Thats why your tweets, Instagrams,Facebook shares all gather dust unless you actively promote them. The Emojis are definitely preceding a business change and were created for exactly that…better business insights! Nothing social about them apart from what we users impart on them 🙂
Julie syl~
I loved the new Facebook Like Emoji’s. They are cute for personal profiles but I don’t know how much it will impact the business page. Though thanks for sharing the insights!
Hi Ana,
Those Emojis are actually a strictly business decision by Facebook mark those words. The private users are only gonna enjoy them because they exist thats all!
J&PK~
Wow. Thank you so much for researching and sharing this information. Social media is a changing platform and it is crucial to understand the nuances and tools available if you run a business and develop relationships and sales. Thank you for your share. Excellent as always.
Hi Lori,
we are glad you have found the information useful and thanks for your appreciation!
Julie Syl~
The new Facebook reaction are really awesome as you can express your real thoughts in different manner instead of the usual “Like” button. Honestly I never know there is a lot of business idea behind this new update, but I am sure it will help Business users the most.
Glad you got value Lisa and thanks for your time 🙂
J&PK~
Great info. I dont think Reactions is going to take away from comments but add to it. It like it because it gives a more authetic response verses a standard like. I used to hate to like people’s statuses that was sad such as someones family member passing…it didnt seem empathetic but now the sad reaction is more accurate. ITs a good thing.
Hi Kiwi,
Facebook reactions are not meant to take away from Comments, THE ARE ACTUALLY MEANT TO REPLACE COMMENTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE!
So if you dont want comments removed. be more giving in your commenting as facebook is seriously considering this matter.
Julie Syl~
This is such a great post Honestly, I enjoyed reading this very worth it. and I’m so really glad that you share a good info and Inspiring post.
Hello Aziel,
Glad you found the information useful & enjoyable thanks for your time too 🙂
J&PK~
Great post. and Very Interesting. I really enjoyed reading this. That makes a lot of sense.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Mansi glad you got value and that it now all makes sense 🙂
J&PK~
Awesome tips I am glad you shared this I learn something daily
Hi RaNesha,
I am glad yo got value too 🙂
Julie Syl~
Such a great read and insight !!~~ thank you for sharing loved it ♥♥☺☺
Thank you for swinging by Sandra 🙂 Glad you enjoyed <3
J&PK~
I think it is important to have real reactions from customers or followers and this expands the option for showing real emotion
We agree with you Erinn and we are watching the space to bring to you what else the Facebook reactions mean, so keep an eye out too 🙂
Julie Syl~
So glad that you shared this, I really enjoyed reading this.
Glad you enjoyed and got value Carmela 🙂
J&PK~
As a blogger and not much of a business I am not liking face books direction but atleast now I understand the meaning behind the new Facebook reactions
Hi Anosa,
I dont really mind Facebook direction as a blogger and a business owner. I know where they are coming from…Share holders to please and wall street too!
The New emojis will give me better insights in my audience on how I can serve them better. So I am keeping my eye on the ball 🙂
Julie Syl~
These emojis are interesting and I never thought of them from a business perspective. I really liked your tips on how to use them effectively because I am not sure that I would have broken them down or used them as a tool to get to know the readers better. Thanks!
Glad you did get value Alison and thanks for your time.
Keep an eye out on your analytics thats how you know whats working and what isnt. Any post that gets lots of positive engagement…put out more of that!
Julie Syl~
I’m terrified that I will get a sad face on my business page lol. Not sure how I feel about the emojis yet.
Lolol Depends on what message you share for the sad face to appear, If its not so greta news or info then expect the sad face in fact invite it 🙂
Be wary if you are sharing what you consider value and someone puts teh sad face…BUT You cant win em all huni so focus on hen ones you do win!
Julie Syl~
Everyone was using the emojis when launched. Now I don’t see it as much. We did not know they are important down the road. Great article & tons of super info.
Everyone is bored with hovering over the like to get the others Roslyn.
In many cases the others dont appear as and when you hover. Esp ion mobile gadgets bit finicky…so thats why!
Julie Syl~
Great insights! Still waiting for the day Facebook will launch the ‘dislike’ button. 🙂
Not gonna happen Czjai, it was debated and mulled over and dismissed. I agree with their reasons too! 🙂
Julie SYl~
As if we are not bombarded enough with ads everywhere we turn…now in our message feeds. Well I guess its all about making the dollar. Thanks Julie for sharing the info. The new emoji’s are was pretty sure it only means more things coming. Facebook loves to keep things changing.
Yes the new Emojis are the smokescreen Lynn. Mind you if you go into your Yahoo mail now, There is an Advert Mail right at the top of your mail feed. and the side bar is all about ads. And you literaly just have to pass your mouse over them to activate them lol. Facebook is picking a leaf I bet!
Julie Sy;~
Great post Julie. I definitely welcome these new emojis. Can finally express my emotion other than “like”. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Like was a lot off the mark fro many posts so now we can be a lil more generous with what we feel and also maybe empathetic too 🙂
Julie Syl~
That makes a lot of sense. It’s good for businesses because they’ll know what the customer thinks of their products and all that. I love the new facebook reactions, it’s a lot more expressive.
We do love them too quite a bit more interaction for sure.
J&PK~
[ Smiles ] Those Facebook emoji’s would help you to understand how people feel about your product and business ideas.
Yes they will soon enough Renard 🙂
J&PK~
Im Lovin the New reactions, I feel this is a Key tool for us to Gage out audiences Feelings about out FB Content. Lovre it!
They are definitely that an then some Tara, we cant wait to see what else FB is up to 🙂
Julie syl~
The world of social media is always changing. The rules are changing. It’s great to get up to date information. Thank you for sharing.
Our absolute Pleasure Kenny. We love to share what we learnt and leverage. Its our role and duty 🙂
Julie Syl~
Facebook is going to realize the folly of their ways when it is too late. It is not really serving the purpose of collaboration and social anything anymore in my mind. Why? most people are not even seeing what you are posting…unless you are paying for an ad it is as if you are wasting your time. Other social media sites are going to take over if they keep it up
Facebook is behind the scenes buying other social media & communication platforms Mardene..to keep us all in its hold lolol. They are definitely getting greedy though and I get your drift! The masses need to speak.
Julie Syl~
Thanks for this deep dive into what FB is up to. I’m wondering how long a life span it will have, given all this.
Facebook will outlast most of us Carol trust me on that. Coz many of us are invested in it and it has got so much of our lives it can do whatever the heck it wants with it including starting a whole new social media and we will be drawn in again. Facebook Owns Instagram and Whatsapp…so what can you do cant get away from Mark Z 🙂
Julie Syl~
Another great post Julie! I am always amazed at some bloggers/FB page owners whose only focus is what they can sell you but have no desire to interact or engage. This ought to be must read, so I will share. 🙂
Hi Claudette,
Thank you for your observations indeed. And your support is much appreciated.
Julie Syl~
great post Julie. thanks for sharing it is really eye opening how we can use facebook. I love the idea of using it to measure my effectiveness.
Ohh arent you already using your Insights Andy? You should be bro 🙂 tut tu. Its just gonna get much more targeted and probably more commercial too!
Julie Syl~
I never actually put much thought into the new reactions on Facebook and how they would affect my business, so thanks for the info! 🙂
You are most welcome Cole, glad you got value 🙂
J&PK~
Really interesting post! I had no idea of their affect. I’m still undecided whether I even like facebook for the blog but I’ll try it! Thanks for sharing, tweeting this!
Facebook is a major source of bog traffic Amy, so dont you underestimate it mate. But you gotta be targeted and sooner or later pay to play as a business owner 🙂
J&PJ~
Of course they didn’t update FB with the emojis we all really wanted – lol!
Lololol Yeah like which ones GiGi :p Tell us more 🙂
Julie Syl~
These new updates can actually impact how our audience engages with our posts. Thanks for this Julie!
Yes they will and behind them some some serious FB move on Business users and adverts!
Julie Syl~
That makes a lot of sense Julie. Engagement means what exactly. For business users there needs to be a different set of rules because Wow or lol is not real engagement. I’m not sure how these new emoticons are going to do but that is the game and Facebook gets to make the rules. Thanks for sharing these insights.
Yes David,
Engagement means different things to different people but LOL and cheers arent engagement or wow or hehehee etc. amd for bUsiness they actually mean zilch… 🙂
Thanks for your time
Julie Syl~
As much as I do enjoy fan engagement on my business FB page, I’d actually be glad to see the obsession with FB wane. It’s such a time suck and has had a huge impact on how we function in our daily lives.
Lolol the WWW is heer to stay Jess. Its down to you to decide and prioritize your time hun. I know just what you mean by time suck 🙂