We LIKE Like You
Ah, Facebook – where the real communication of the world happens. Where triviality meets gravity. Where fact meets fiction. Where the tiniest nuances of your life (not to mention the lives of millions) can be scrutinized by hundreds of your closest “friends.”
And that world’s perception of you isn’t just comprised of your most recent posts and comments. Nope, the things you “like” are up for analysis as well. Odds are, you fall into at least one of the following categories comprised of part behavioral analysis and part pop-psychology. But, hey what isn’t these days?
The Lazy Liker – You’re the type of person who doesn’t put a lot of thought into the posts you like, but most of all, you opt for hitting the “thumbs up” instead of writing something meaningful. You’re probably a little passive-aggressive too.
The Like-Liker – You like everything. You automatically like whatever your closest friends and favorite organizations post. You also like baby pictures of friends you haven’t seen in 10 years and someone’s irrational, anonymous rant. You are probably working hard to build a dense online network and form alliances among your strongest connections. Be careful – your likes may start to appear disingenuous if you don’t back them up with thoughtful comments and real-life support. And if you build a reputation as a like-liker, your friends might feel slighted if you accidentally neglect one of their posts.
The Bad Liker – You make the mistake of “liking” bad things – like someone losing their job or breaking up with their girlfriend. Not everything on Facebook is necessarily positive, so be cautious when giving it a positive review. Instead, comment or send a private message if you’d like to acknowledge a not-so-great moment in someone’s life.
The Likable Liker – You like the things you actually like, and you bolster your “thumbs up” with a comment when necessary. You recognize that some posts simply require a quick and easy nod of the head, while others deserve more attention. Most importantly, the friends and organizations you support online are also the ones you support in real life. In short, you LIKE like.
It seems so insignificant – a gesture that takes less than a second of time can mean so much in the bigger picture. A tiny click can mean everything from tacit acknowledgment to passionate endorsement. So like wisely and mindfully to avoid tarnishing your delicate online brand.