With over 1.49 Billion users, Facebook is a part of our lives. By learning why people like, comment, or share we can further understand ourselves and our customers.
Today is Friday. As part of my new series on Fridays called It’s Friday… Woohoo, I talk about why customers like, comment, or share on Facebook – this is part 2 of a 5 part series on Facebook Marketing.
It’s Friday… Woohoo Part 2 Facebook Marketing Series
People never forget how you make them feel, especially on Facebook.
With over “1.49 billion monthly active users as of June 30, 2015” there is no question that Facebook is the largest social network. Many of us spend an enormous amount of time on the social network, and there is more to how we like, comment or share than we think.
In the infographic, “Why We Like, Comment, and Share on Facebook“, Neil Patel provides a look inside the psychology of why people interact and engage on Facebook.
Why is the social psychology of Facebook important?
This is important for two reasons:
- The scope of Facebook – It’s huge. Our customers, family and friends are on it.
- It can help us understand why our customers could potentially interact with a business on Facebook.
According to the infographic, “Facebook taps the brain’s pleasure center.”
This aligns with the findings from a study by neuroscientist researchers Diana Tamir and Jason Mitchell at Harvard. In a Wall Street Journal interview with the scientists, from 2012. In “Science Reveals Why We Brag so Much” by Robert Lee Hotz, Tamir states:
“Self-disclosure is extra rewarding,”
Takeaway – We love to share because we can’t help it, it helps us validate who we are and provides real pleasure to us. Facebook and social media helps contribute to this feeling of pleasure.
Under the “Why We Like” section, the findings from a Synapse study state:
A Synapse study found that most people seem to make these decisions based on practical reasons (such as coupons and updates from favorite brands).
We like because we feel we can get something in return.
“42% Get a coupon or discount”
“41% Receive regular updates from brands they like”
Takeaway – give the people what they want! Valuable content, discounts, helpful advice, etc…
As a marketer, this seems like a secret… provide something highly valuable, even content, that someone can utilize.
But, the more highly targeted the audience, the more of an opportunity you have to reach that audience (either organically or by Facebook Ads) because if you have a highly targeted audience, they are more apt to like your content. Ensure that you are creating your valuable content for the right audience.
In the “Why We Share” section there are further findings on social sharing from an Ipsos study:
61% Share interesting things.
43% Share important things
Takeway – By keeping your content highly relevant and unique, you have a better chance of people sharing it with others.
Check out the Sprout Social infographic below:
By trying to understand the emotion and psychology of why people interact on Facebook we can provide more relevant products and helpful advice for our customers.
Note: * h/t to Larry Kim for this post. I originally saw this infographic on a post by Larry Kim on Social Media Today
called, “The Science Behind Why People Engage with Facebook Content [infographic]“
Bob Strassel Jr.