Facebook explains how its new Like and Dislike emojis will impact post ranking

Facebook users have wanted a “dislike button” for years, and today the company announced it would be testing reaction emojis, although starting just in Ireland and Spain. At the same time, the company has shared how these new Reactions, as Facebook calls them, will impact a post’s ranking and reach.

Unlike other social networks, Facebook shows you posts based on a complex algorithm that takes into account Likes, comments, shares, who your closest friends are, and so on. Swapping out Likes for seven emojis (Like, Love, Haha, Yay, Wow, Sad, and Angry) will naturally change the game. And yet, Facebook explains that a Reaction is really just equivalent to a Like, at least for now.

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Reactions can be made to any Facebook post, including from a friend, advertiser, publisher, or business. Here is how Facebook says its News Feed algorithm will interpret using a Reaction:

Our goal is to show you the stories that matter most to you in News Feed. Initially, just as we do when someone likes a post, if someone uses a Reaction, we will infer they want to see more of that type of post. We will spend time learning from this initial rollout and iterate based on findings in the future.

During this test, Page owners will be able to see Reactions to all of their posts on Page insights. Reactions will have the same impact on ad delivery as Likes do.

The word “initially” is key here. Keep in mind that Reactions are still an experiment, and Facebook will undoubtedly change exactly how they work. This is just the first test of many, as the company is naturally wary of changing anything as iconic as its Like button.

For Pages, Facebook offers the same advice as always: Continue to post things that your audience finds meaningful. If you’re having trouble figuring that out, check out the social network’s Page post best practices.