According to a document sent by Facebook to its partners, an upcoming change will alter the way users connect with Facebook Pages. Rather than the existing “Become a Fan,” users will click “Like” to opt-in to receive updates from that page. Brands will also collect “Connections” instead of “Fans;” however, this small wording change could create some big waves for marketers.
At first, users may get confused between “Liking” a page and “Liking” a page’s update, since a “Like” function already exists within Facebook. While the change might mean pages will accumulate more connections, it will be difficult for brands to distinguish which users are true ambassadors, and which users subscribed to the page accidentally. But even if users intend to “Like” a page, expect some connections to become much less meaningful.
In an Advertising Age article, David Berkowitz explains what it meant to be a Facebook fan: “Consumers needed to think twice about whether they’d become a fan of a brand because it meant something, even in a small way, to include that as part of their persona. It meant at least as much for brands to know who their real fans were; they already have a sense of who likes them.”
The shift from “Fan” to “Like” weakens the relationship between users and brands. Facebook’s release states: “‘Like’ offers a light-weight, consistent way for users to connect with the things they are passionate about.” Calling the action “light-weight” takes away from the enthusiasm most brands would hope for when users subscribe to their updates. A user’s light-weight connection to a brand won’t produce the kind of results marketers would hope for, rather, it will produce superficial fans who aren’t likely to translate into customers.
Facebook also recently proposed new privacy settings on their blog, introducing the idea of pre-approved partner websites that may access users’ data to create a customized experience. Think Facebook Connect on a much bigger scale, though the blog post claims the feature would only be available “with a small, select group of partners and we would also offer new controls.”
Both changes seem to be in conjunction with rumors that Facebook is developing a “Like” button for content created all across the web. You can already “share” content on Facebook with the click of a button, but rumors speculate that the “Like” feature would go way beyond that. According to AllFacebook.com, “Facebook also intends to allow developers to apply the ‘Like’ button to practically any structured object on the internet, if initial rumors are accurate.”
Regardless of the rumors, marketers should plan to focus on their presence on Facebook as it continues to integrate with content and user experiences on a wider scale. As the social networking site continues to make changes to become the top contender in content sharing and web search, you should prepare your brand to be a top contender in their domain.
