It marked the first adjustment to its reactions since Facebook announced in February that it was expanding the Like button to include a wider range of emotions, such as Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry. In a press release, Facebook said the change was the culmination of more than a year of global research into user preferences and behavior. Advertising Continue reading below And, by some accounts, it's also an effort to appeal to mobile users who don't want to type in more nuanced responses - and it's more in line with the rise of emoji in an increasingly chat-based culture. . By giving users more options, Facebook Reactions improves the user experience, and by initial research, that's exactly what they're doing.
But, of course, it's not an entirely benevolent decision by Facebook. In fact, as Wired noted, it's likely also an effort to increase engagement and make its News Feed — and ads — more personalized. facebook reactions Here's a look image masking service at how Facebook can potentially use data from its reaction buttons beyond just better targeting. Advertising Continue reading below That is, through information gleaned from Reactions, Facebook can: 1. Collect more emotional data The reactions are an extension of what Lauren Moores, vice president of strategy at digital intelligence firm Dstillery, called emotional data, which she says is part of a larger trend in which ad tech collects emotional cues from sources such as facial expressions and emoticons, which ultimately be used for better targeting.
In other words, Facebook is also seeking a more nuanced look at its users' reaction to advertising, which could potentially be used to better identify the right consumer, device, and time for ad content. "It's a very savvy way to test if there's any value in classifying content this way," Moores said. "It's a start. Others are trying to do it, but I don't think any of us know where it's going. Think about what's happening with wearables and the ability to figure out where I am and where you are in relation to the emotions. It's not only the right announcement at the right time, but it's also the right context. It gets to me when I want to get that message." Similarly, Bryan Segal, CEO of social technology company Engagement Labs, said the integration of these emoji-like buttons provided more qualitative emotional intelligence of Facebook rather than just quantitative, such as the number of likes.