What is the difference between adding a facebook like button or a share button to my website? Any experience? what do you prefer?
Answers (7)
The Facebook Like button will post a status update on a user's wall saying "Taran Long likes YOUR DESIRED TITLE" which links to your website. This status update will also stream into that users friends home page on Facebook as an update from them.
The share button allows people to share specific content like say an article or a product with their friends on Facebook. It doesn't necessarily associate them as liking it, but allows them to share it with your friends.
The question of preference is probably more related to what your goal is. If you are looking for brand recognition and to have people become ambassadors of your brand/product/service the "Like" button can be kind of an endorsement from the people who click it. If you are looking for web traffic, the share feature is great also.
Remember not everyone is on Facebook. Some of your site users may belong to social networking sites like Ning, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, Hi5, and others. Users have options about where they congregate online, they should have the same options for sharing content. If you are thinking about using a social plugin to share content from your website, I would go for something a little more universal than just the Facebook Share plug-in. Social Twist, Add This, Add to Any, and Share This are a little more versatile allowing your website visitor to choose how they want to share content with their friends.
I don't know that you are necessarily faced with an either or choice here. You may choose to do both on your website or you may even choose to create a presence like a Facebook Page and a Twitter account. The great thing is that you are embracing social media as a new marketing channel and asking the right questions. Good Luck!
Links:
Paul A.
Public Relations and Communications; Destination and Brand Management; Social Media Strategist CDME, TDM, SMS [LION]
A 'Share' button from Facebook will directly share your website on the profile page of the person clicking it so they share with all their friends. Some 'share' buttons, not exclusively connected to Facebook, will give the user the opportunity to select which SM to share your website with.
A 'Like' button is a way to build your network of Facebook users who 'Like' your Facebook page. A 'Like' button is available through the Edit Page link on a FB Page and the code that you copy and paste to your website includes the function to open the users Facebook and add your page as a like for them.
I hope that is sufficient to explain it to you. There are other options available with both.
Links:
- http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/help/?ref=drop
- http://www.facebook.com/facebook-widgets/likebadges.php
Paul A. also suggests these experts on this topic:
I prefer Share, i post right to the user profile and can be quiet handy. Like button is ok to I don't have that much experience with it.
Gianluigi C.
Managing Partner 90:10 Group ★ Do you leverage Social Media as business accelerators? Be Faster, Better and Cheaper
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Hi Taran,
We have both these buttons.
The "Like" button is a kind of rating, whilst sharing is -just- sharing and not neccesarily means a positive thing.
On our websites, both are being used. The ReTweet button (not the one in the share button) is being used as well often.
Best regards,
Gianluigi Cuccureddu
Links:
Jennifer Y.
Multimedia Research Director at WFLA-TV, TBO.com and The Tampa Tribune (Media General)
While our website has instituted the "Like" button, I am still hesitant about it. Already, there have been scam attacks using the "Like" button.
Facebook is so prevalent, and the privacy settings are so riddled with loopholes, it is unfortunately very easy for trouble-makers to take advantage of this to cause harm.
In this quote from Sophos.com:
"Hundreds of thousands of Facebook users have fallen for a social-engineering trick which allowed a clickjacking worm to spread quickly over Facebook this holiday weekend.
Links:
Stacy G.
Senior Regional Sales Manager- Strategic, Silverpop (TX, OK, MO, KS, CO, UT)
Thought this case study might be helpful
