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July 06, 2011

Facebook users and action behavior

Couple hours ago I watched Facebook Live. Zuckerberg was talking about Facebook's collaboration with Skype regarding video chat. Whether Facebook is even remotely scared of Google Plus or not is another post but what struck me was Zuckerberg saying that average Facebook users are passive users!

I add people I know, thats just me but apparently most people don't add people as their friends. They wait to be added. More importantly, average users don't want to spend time understanding any of Facebook's configurations. Zuckerberg's point being that Facebook as a network drives users' actions. It is very interesting because now I'm wondering if this same attitude applies when the user lands on a Page instead of a Profile. 

Are people passive or aggressive when it comes to clicking the 'Like' button?
I guess this question can be uncovered by figuring out what exactly is the motive behind 'Liking' a page? I like pages because,
  1. I want to get updates
  2. I want to express brand loyalty
  3. Because people in my network like it
My decision to Like a page is based on the above mentioned motives. Study shows that about 40% users like a page just to let their friends know of their brand affiliation (Social Media Examiner, 2010). Psychologically, it makes sense. There have been times when I've liked a brand just so my friends can see all the cool, quirky stuff I'm into! Reading a personality becomes so easy when you look at the things the user has liked.

Oddly, my most silent/passive friends Like stuff on a regular basis, not as often as I do but they occasionally do like liking stuff!

Just after the Facebook conference, I had a chat with my mom and we randomly got talking about Likes. She was expressing her passion about some news story and how she wants all her friends to like that particular page. It is a bit weird because my mom is the complete opposite of me, a very private person.

I am now assuming that people aren't as private when it comes to Liking pages as they are when it comes to Adding people as Friends. Of-course there is no direct comparison between both these actions as adding someone to your friends list will give this person access to your personal life (even if they only have a Limited view). On the other hand pages don't get that access.

But, how many average users are aware of the fact that there is a Limited View option or that pages can't access your personal information (unless you have installed some app from that page that has access to your information)?!

Then on that note, both these actions can actually be compared considering the fact that an average user is unaware of the above mentioned facts. I guess it is interesting to note that, although a huge amount of Facebook users are passive when it comes to taking actions, clicking on that Like seems to be a fairly aggressive action. I suppose, it all comes down to the fact that Facebook makes us social beings. Somehow, our individuality is lost and we want to be a part of the community.

Now this drives the issue back to the discussion (I'm having with myself!) regarding passivity. Once the user likes a page, do they continue interacting? The most I do is Like Photos on my Liked Pages. On a rare occasion, I'll write something. I personally don't interact because none of the posts I see on any of the Pages that appear in my news-feed are interesting! I'll engage if I find it interesting, I rarely see posts on Pages that call for people to join in. Usually, it is the celebrities or big brands like Starbucks that get super-interactive on Facebook.

Rule # 1 : If you have a Facebook Page, Start Interacting now. More engaging posts=more people opening your page or less people removing you from their news-feed!

People are passive, in-spite of being on a moderate social level, I have to be pulled into a conversation online. Understanding how people share online is essential. As social media grows, Zuckerberg says that more and more people are going to share on a larger scale. There by, making 'interaction' an important aspect to a Facebook Page! As mentioned earlier, users on a network need to be directed, have them move past their passive behavior and get them engaged in interesting conversations. When a user comments on your status update, it gets shown within the user's friends' news feed. Chances are you could have a few more people from within every other (or so!) user's network, Like your page. The key here is to take time out to understand your target market and work on those ice-breakers!

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