Hi all,
Today is a great day in the roll-out of open graph on the web. It’s fantastic news for platform developers and for the websites that are using the like button.
As of today, the object displayed on Facebook after someone clicks on a like button is the same as the object that is displayed when a user clicks a share button.
It’s retroactive : all your previous likes have been adapted. (check your profile and click on “show older” to see the graphical improvement and new user experience.)
Until now, a click on the like button displayed the following textual message that we can’t screenshot easily now 
“First Name – Name” likes “Title of the post” on “Website Name“.
> The image only appeared when passing the mouse cursor over the links.
And the render was too light to engage friends of likers.
On the contrary, the share button was offering an extended display, adding the image + the description, both visible by default.
Now, when a user likes a content from a website, it will propose a better display : a title, a description and an image, not just only the title and the source.
It means the visual render of the interaction between Likes and Shares has become equal.
The remaining differences between the like button and the share button.
From a user point of view, it makes things clear when surfing an external website :
When you like or recommend a content, you can become a fan and receive udpates as long as :
- you allow Facebook to share your datas with external sites.
- the website you’re surfing is optimized for Facebook and open graph (= OpenGraphy main offer)
Do you have to stop using the share button ?
The verb “Share” is complementary to “Like” in users’ mind.
The share button is useful from a meaning point of view as it is complementary to the action of liking.
Indeed,in some cases you prefer to like, in others you will share. It depends on the content.
Example : an article about war will never be liked, but shared. By clicking on a button with “share” written on it, you just want to catch your friends’ interest.
When you click on Like, you do more : you express a feeling.
The basic user doesn’t know that when he likes on a site, he will be receiving update about the content shortly after.
Use “Recommend” instead of “Share” if your website is optimized for Facebook
In this context, the Recommend button can be seen as the best alternative to the share button.
(“Recommend” is a setting to adapt in the configuration of the Like button.)
With the share button, you can’t engage your visitors in the long term. They don’t become a fan of your content.
In other words, the share button generates ephemere interactions, no retargeting, no permanent link on your visitors’ Facebook respective profile.
A click on the share button by your visitors will just generate an instant buzz. That’s all.
So, what can we expect in the near future for the share button ?
The share button will be seen by all developers and by the basic Facebook user as a “light” like button.
It will offer the same graphical render but won’t open doors to community management activities for the domain application developers.
Until now, some users clicked on both buttons : they liked and shared a same content to take advantage of both renders without knowing what would happen in the following days in terms of retargeting activities from the source.
This user behaviour will disappear with the increase of the customer awareness in publisher social retargeting.
Conclusion : new facts and effects
1 – Like or recommend = Tell your friends and subscribe to the updates of the respective content
2 – Share = Tell my friends only, no engagement, no retargeting opportunities
3 – Use recommend instead of Share.
4 – You will note that if your website is partly optimized for Facebook, your share button box count should display the same number of interactions as your like button.
5 – Try to use 2 like buttons on the same page : one with the verb “recommend” and one with the verb “Like”. You should maximize your opportunities to generate interactions with your users.
6 – Friends of likers can comment their respective likes.
And you ? Which render do you get when someone likes a content on your site ?
If you don’t get an image, a description or the right title when your visitors like a content on your site, it means that you have to adapt your code for Social Networks.
The main offer of OpenGraphy is to optimize websites for social networks with a strong focus on Facebook.
Then, OpenGraphy provide Facebook analytics tools, custom like box generators, and automated community management applications.
Feel free to contact Opengraphy to take advantage of the extended functionalities of the Like button.
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