The Power of the Like
The “Like” button. A seemingly-harmless yet frequently-clicked tool on most social media channels. But could that simple click have larger consequences for your brand?
In today’s world of social media, absolutely. With Twitter introducing News Feeds that include Tweets that have been liked by those you follow, suddenly your simple click of a button puts you on display to all of your followers’ followers. Do you actually agree with that inflammatory article put out by a politically biased media outlet or were you just trying to bookmark it to read later? To many of your followers, they won’t know the difference and quite frankly - they won’t care.
The Like button shows an endorsement of the statement, image or article, regardless of your actual feelings. Instagram produces a similar reaction, as there are always a few users shown who have liked the image or video before providing the “and 12 others” tagline. During the recent March For Our Lives, Tiffany Trump liked an image on Instagram in which a protestor held a sign saying “NEXT MASSACRE WILL BE THE GOP IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS.”
While we don’t know for sure her intentions in liking the photo (Did she even mean to? Did she accidentally double tap while trying to scroll and stop quickly as I’ve done plenty of times myself?), the Like caught the attention of the media and prompted notable celebrity blogger Perez Hilton to put out an article to his 6.5MM followers.
Definitely not a good look for the daughter of a GOP president...
Conversely, the Like button can be a great way to self-promote without actually seeming like you’re self-promoting. A great example is Chrissy Teigen’s use of the Like button regarding fans making recipes from her Cravings cookbook. By simply “Liking” the Tweet instead of RT’ing, Chrissy doesn’t seem to be patting herself on the back with every Tweet sent to her praising her culinary prowess. However, because Twitter includes many of those Tweets in her followers’ timelines - we get to see how easy and delicious her recipes look to make (and thus, order a copy off Amazon as we take a 30second break from scrolling Twitter. Technology at its finest). Additionally, those who Tweet her images and reviews get the added rush of a Like from Chrissy. And admit it - we ALL want a Like from Chrissy Teigen.
In the chain of Tweets below, Chrissy Liked @carry_your heart's Tweet about her book, thus putting it into news feeds of Twitter users who don't follow @carry_yourheart. Several of these users reached out to her and she responded with praise and encouragement to buy the book. Like button FTW for Chrissy!
In that vein, the Like button can be an incredibly powerful tool for celebrities to interact with followers and create goodwill. While nothing will beat a written reply or Quote Tweet, a simple “Like” can mean the world to a fan who’s been your supporter since day one or perhaps change the sentiment of a follower who is on the fence about supporting you. It can even give a level of awareness to those who Tweet about a celebrity, thinking it will never be seen by that person. By simply clicking that Like, you’ve let someone know you’re there, you’re reading their messages and they aren’t simply Tweeting their thoughts into cyberspace with no actual connection to the person they’re talking about. Crazy how one simple social media action can hold all this power, huh?
With social media channels continuing to evolve and change, you never know what actions you think you’re privately are in fact evolving your public brand. So the next time you go to Like a post, take a minute to think how others will react to your endorsement of the message and be mindful of how you utilize your Likes.