I can see it coming. Facebook is set to kill content sharing within Facebook. Despite its current status as one of the top places for content sharing, Facebook is going to ruin it all. The good news? Eventually they’ll figure it out, backtrack, and fix the problem. As usual. How will this unfold? Read on.
The new Like button
Facebook just changed the Like button. Previously, when you Liked a page outside of Facebook, only a short “recent activity” message was displayed in users’ feeds. Now, just as with the Share button, a paragraph and even a picture will display in the feed.
Up to now, I’ve recommended that several clients stick with the Share button instead of using Like on their pages, because of this difference. Share gave great visibility to content. So, you’d think I’d be happy about Facebook’s change. Unfortunately, the Like button has some drawbacks. Specifically the website you Like:
- automatically appears as a Liked page on your profile
- can target ads to you
- can message you
- can put content on your feed
And, it opens up all those privacy issues, making your information available to third parties, unless you’ve turned off Instant Personalization.
Another drawback: by default, you can’t provide your own comment when you Like a page. Clicking Like will put a big paragraph on your wall, showing up in other people’s feeds, but it doesn’t give you the chance to make your own comment in Facebook about the content.
Now, here’s the kicker
Facebook is doing away with the Share button. Its developer page has recommended using the Like button, instead of Share, for some time. As of today, I can’t even find the documentation for the Share button on Facebook’s Developer site. Everything redirects to the Like button. Everyone trying to add share functionality is only going to find code and widgets for adding Like.
The Like backlash
Within Facebook, a high percentage of users already Unlike pages (about 50%) and an even higher percentage (70%) have become more selective about Liking pages. Most users still don’t realize that Liking a page means the page can post content to their feed. They will soon, though! Now that Like is the only way to share content, users will turn to it for sharing, of course, only to discover all the drawbacks. The result:
“Hey! It didn’t share my content on Facebook…oh, yeah it did. But I didn’t get to enter my comment!!”
“Why am I getting all these posts from Xyz Company in my feed?!! Yuck!”
“Oh, it’s because I shared something from the Xyz site with that Like button.”
“How the hell do I share something with my own comment and without Liking the page!!!!!”
Facebook, about face.
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