Earlier today, Facebook announced a few small, but substantial changes to the way its Like button can be used across the web. This is big news for developers and advertisers, but also for users, as it may complicate what you are actually “liking” on certain pages.
According to Facebook, the updates to the Like button are:
- The ability to like canvas URLs for Facebook applications that represent things such as a cause, movie, or any other real world object
- The ability to link a Like button to a Facebook Page
- “Box count” layout that displays the total number of likes above the button
Let’s dissect these changes one by one to figure out what they mean for the marketer and the consumer.
1) The ability to like canvas URLs – This new function will allow developers to install the Like button on apps operating on the Facebook platform.
This gives users the ability to like both a Page and an app within the Page. So, if Coca-Cola has an app on its Page, I could now like both Coca-Cola the Page and Coca-Cola the app. Once I like it, that action will be shared on my News Feed and will link back to the specific app (creating more shareable content for brands).
In addition to liking apps, Facebook is also allowing users to like virtual goods and real world objects that live outside of websites or Facebook Pages. This could be huge for advertisers, as it will allow users to like things in the real world, such as products, events or movies.
2) The ability to link a Like button to a Facebook Page – Currently, when you see the Facebook Like button on an external site, it is linked to a specific piece of content, such as a video or a news article. With this change, Facebook is now allowing advertisers to attach a Like button to a piece of web content that will make you like their respective page as opposed to the content. This is a sticky situation and something that both consumers and advertisers need to be aware of. Users could potentially be “tricked” into liking at page when they think they are simply liking a one-off piece of content, such as a news article.
Our recommendation for consumers is to be aware of this and be conscious of what you are liking before you click “Like”. Our plea to advertisers is to use this new feature ethically. Be transparent and let your users know what they are liking.
3) “Box-Count” layout change – The third change announced today is more cosmetic than functional. This change simply displays the number of likes in a box above the Like button (very similar to the way Twitter displays how many times content has been tweeted). The new design element is displayed below. Expect to see it popping up on pages soon.
Like MGH on Facebook!
If you are a developer you can find out more about these changes from Facebook’s official blog at http://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/407. If you are a business owner and would like to talk about how these changes can affect your brand feel free to contact me at RWalters@mghus.com .
