Emojis are everywhere in the modern world. We’re constantly using emojis to express ourselves and translate our emotions into a digital format. Reactions are Facebook’s way of facilitating that emotional conversation online. Facebook Reactions are a series of 6 emojis customers can use to respond to a post. The options include:

  • Love
  • Ha-ha
  • Like
  • Wow
  • Sad
  • Angry

More than just icons, Reactions help to differentiate Facebook from other social platforms. During their first year of existence, users “reacted” to post more than 300 billion times. Facebook Reactions are now also available on Messenger.

How Do Facebook Reactions Affect Social Media Marketing?

Just as the “like” button features into Facebook’s algorithm, Reactions are also critical to social campaigns. According to an official Facebook post:

“If someone uses a reaction, Facebook will infer that person wants to see more of that type of post.”

For now, Facebook measures all reactions equally when evaluating posts. For marketers, this means that Reactions are simply another way to engage with customers. These icons are a hub of useful information. Reactions are more descriptive than a simple “like” and allow marketers to see how customers “feel” about posts.

Facebook gives today’s companies access a clearer picture of what their customers like and love. Negative reactions also help brands to protect their reputation and overcome consumer problems. With Reactions, brands can refine their messaging and adapt to evoke the emotions they most want to see.

How to Analyze Facebook Reactions

Facebook Insights offers a somewhat limited approach to analytics for those interested in Reactions. The system examines simple metrics like how many of each reaction each post receives, as well as:

  • Number of clicks
  • Number of comments
  • Number of shares

A social media marketing tool like Sprout Social can offer deeper interpretations of Facebook engagement data. With deeper insights into your audience, you can better understand what customers feel when they see certain posts and which emotions facilitate the greatest conversions. The more you know about your impact on your audience’s emotions, the more effective your marketing strategies become.

How to Use Facebook Reactions in Your Campaigns

Facebook Reactions represent a unique engagement metric for companies. After all, emotions are the key driver behind most purchasing decisions. 90% of our choices are subconscious. In digital marketing and social campaigns, Facebook Reactions can:

  • Show which emotions promote the most conversions: Countless positive and negative emotions drive human beings. Anger can be a powerful motivator, particularly in certain industries and for non-profit organizations.
  • Highlight potential advocates: People who regularly react with the “Love” reaction may be ideal for influencer and evangelism campaigns.
  • Support optimization: Measuring negative “Anger” reactions allows you to create a list of topics and content to avoid. Facebook reactions could be a powerful addition to a reputation management strategy

Statistics show that consumers are driven by emotion, not logic. By adjusting a common engagement metric, the “like” into something more nuanced, Facebook made it easier to analyze how your customers feel about your brand. With Facebook Reactions and the right social tools, companies can dive deeper into the successes and failures of each campaign.