No longer will you only have the option of hitting the Like button on a Facebook post, as the social media giant has just rolled out five alternatives to the traditional tool. The new emoji based “Reactions” consist of Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry alongside the Like button. Users on their mobile devices can access these emojis by holding down the Like button or simply hovering over the icon on desktop.
Facebook released these emojis to help users respond to posts easier and faster with more authenticity. With the like button being the only option, users have been put in awkward situations when liking a post that was related to someone expressing frustration or disappointments. These “Reaction” emojis have been introduced to help reduce these situations and give people the chance to express their feelings for posts in a positive, supportive way.
Before today, “Reactions” were only available in Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Chile, the Philippines, Colombia, and Japan. Facebook users are adopting Reactions at alarming speed, with the Love reaction winning the title of most popular. There was one reaction that didn’t make the global cut, as the “Yay” button was removed due it not being universal enough. Perhaps a disappointment to Canadians and Americans alike.
Facebook will be look to improve on “Reactions” as more data is collected, but for now they’re here to stay. So head over to Facebook to see how your customers are expressing themselves.