Facebook founder Mark Zukerberg has announced that Facebook are now working on the addition of a Dislike button on the social network to go alongside the iconic Like button.
According to Zukerberg, the Dislike button will enable users to show empathy with a post, rather than err, well, dislike it.
So is this really a good idea? Well, despite Facebook claiming that it is something users have regularly been asking about for years, the announcement that it the Dislike button will soon be going into user testing has been met with a mixed response.
Having the ability show empathy with someone who posts about going through a tough time or losing a loved one, rather than liking the post, does sound like a good idea. However showing empathy and disliking something is very different.
So have they just got the name wrong?
Clearly, calling it a Dislike button could encourage trolling, but are people really going to use the button to “vote-down” all those baby, wedding & holiday shots, selfies or “look how far I’ve run today” posts?
What may be more likely to happen is people using the Dislike button show their frustration at the proliferation ads on their feed, which could then have an impact on the company’s reputation and the performance of their campaigns.
So, should companies who advertise on Facebook be worried?
An article by Gizmodo suggests that the introduction of a Dislike button could be due to with Facebook’s changing user profile – away from “vulnerable teens “ to more “mature adults”. If you’re campaigns are targeting an older demographic, then these users may be more likely to use the new Dislike button to “vote-down” your ads.
I guess only time will tell whether the button is really used for it’s intended purpose, or as a hefty stick to beat down advertisers – and would it really bother us? As they say, no PR is bad PR.
At least a Dislike would mean the ad’s been seen!
