Facebook

We’ve all done it: grazed through our Facebook newsfeeds and impulsively hit the like button.

But beyond the fact that it’s so easy to use, what exactly is it that we find so irresistible about this tiny, seemingly innocuous function? And why are we so compelled to like people, updates and media online?

According to Facebook, a like is “a way to give positive feedback or to connect with people you care about.” The social-media giant recently released statistics indicating that more than 65 million users like things daily, and although it’s generally more popular among younger users, people of all ages seem to enjoy pressing the like button.

The fact that it’s such a popular element of the platform’s functionality goes a long way in showing how important it is, both for the people clicking the button, and those on the receiving end.

What lies behind our obsession with likes?

Like has become much more than just a positive reaction toward a post or update — it has evolved into feedback toward people. As a rule of thumb, the more likes you get, the more loved you’ll feel. In fact, according to anthropologist Krystal D’Costa, the like button has become so influential as a tool that it can boost or shatter a person’s ego. In effect, it has become “an extension of one’s digital personal.” 

Not only that, but other researchers have shown that like-based communication actually decreases the feeling of loneliness, as it conveys a sense of empathy and caring. From the sender’s perspective, sending a like can have the same effect as smiling or saying a kind word to someone. It is basically a really easy, low-cost way to communicate positive feedback.

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So why do we like things? People send compliments on a daily basis for a whole range of reasons, including rather strategic ones such as wanting to appear nice, to “suck up” or to gain something in return (“You look so nice today … Can I borrow your car?”).

Complimenting a person is literally priceless — it doesn’t cost you anything and it can be accomplished with minimum effort. You don’t even have to mean it. People love to receive compliments even if they are very much aware of its manipulative usage. In fact, taken to its extreme, paying a compliment is a “legitimate” opportunity to lie, which is something that people subconsciously tend to enjoy doing from time to time.

Apart from transmitting a positive signal, the act of liking something is evidence of existence in the online realm. Comments affiliated with the like actually constitute your reputation online, and liking the same things as others within our networks reaffirms our connection with the group by identifying points we hold in common. There is, of course, the hope that a favor will be reciprocated: “I liked your post, now you have to like mine.”

In recent years, the opportunity to like something or somebody has spread outside the boundaries of Facebook to other sites. You can press like after reading a news report, purchasing an accessory or watching a movie. In these cases, liking something is an indication of the consumer’s satisfaction with the product or content, in which the like becomes a way to communicate their views and thoughts to other virtual users that they’ve never met before.

Your likes reveal more about you than you think.

Aside from the positive psychological impact of the Facebook like, as a function, it’s certainly not without its issues. In the spring of 2013, research conducted by psychologists at Cambridge University blew the lid off how this easily accessible digital record of your behaviour can be used (ultimately without your consent) to extract sensitive personal information about you — the kind of information that you might not even share with your closest friends.

In the study, over 58,000 volunteers consensually provided their Facebook likes, detailed demographic profiles and the results of several psychometric tests. Using logistic/linear regression, the researchers were able to predict individual psycho-demographic profiles simply from their likes.

In a nutshell, they found that your likes can reveal everything from your sexual orientation, personality traits and IQ, to your race, age and gender. They can predict your religious and political views, whether your parents are separated, how happy you are and even whether you use addictive substances.

The relationship between like and voice.

What drives people to like things outside the boundaries of Facebook’s walls if the action is not accompanied by a social reward?

Here, the answer lies in the concept of voice. Voice is the opportunity you have to present your opinions in the decision-making process, before a final decision is made. As such, it can enhance your sense of satisfaction with your decision, as well as the process that led to it. Voice is instrumental because it helps you to increase control over the decision-making process, which in turn leads to a better outcome.

Numerous studies conducted both in the lab and in natural settings have shown that having a sense of voice can deepen positive feelings, even when it has no direct impact on a decision.

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One such study that was designed to observe the effects of voice on both the sender and receiver found that voice increased satisfaction because it heightened the perceived value of the interaction. The study simulated a negotiation in the context of resource allocation, in which one group of participants was given the opportunity to voice their opinions prior to the final decision, and the other group was not.

The results indicated that in comparison to a no-voice condition, the voice condition (which yielded the same negotiation results) increased satisfaction with the decision, and generated positive feelings towards the process in both the sender and the receiver. This is exactly what the like is all about — it enhances satisfaction as it gives value to the whole engagement process.

Having a voice in the decision-making process has been found to enhance satisfaction on both sides — the side that has the opportunity to voice an opinion (the sender), and the side who hears the voice (the receiver). Pressing like after engaging in a personal activity online (reading an article, purchasing an item, watching a movie) is a way of expressing your voice.

There are two levels to the relationship between like and voice: explicit and implicit. At the explicit level, people press like to voice their positive feedback. At the implicit level, the phenomenon relates to the subconscious level of behavior. People value voice because it suggests that their views are worthy and have a positive impact on their social status and self-worth. The opportunity to voice an opinion is interpreted as an expression of respect and appreciation, and thus creates positive feelings.

Why your site should feature a like button.

Clicking like after reading an article, for example, is similar to saying: “I read this article, and I liked it. I want to express my views on the matter because my opinion is worth mentioning.” 

The possibility of sharing your opinion online suggests that someone is interested in what you have to say, which in turn has a positive effect on your sense of self-worth. Moreover, it provides the website with a social context. Having the option to like something signals the presence of a real person on the other side, rather than just a virtual figure. The ability to talk back, send comments or share a link (all of which generate positive impact with minimum effort) has the same psychological effect, which is why an increasing number of websites are choosing to use this technique.

It is also possible to learn about the importance of voice from people’s reactions when there is no voice. The frustration effect refers to circumstances in which, despite the possibility for people express an opinion, the decision-maker does not take those opinions into consideration. In such cases, people typically end up feeling worse than they would have, had they not been asked to voice their opinions in the first place.

Another implication of the like is self-persuasion. Because our actions secretly influence our opinions, clicking like can encourage positive thoughts we might have towards a brand or person. Research has shown that after having people actively present persuasive arguments as part of role play, they tend to express positive views that support that argument. Asking someone to say something, even if it contradicts their own views and opinion, can secretly twist their beliefs into favoring what they are saying. Likewise, even if people are not fond of a particular post, object, person or view, the simple act of clicking like, even when done with no profound intention or conviction, can lead to a rationalization process that will subconsciously make them feel positively about that post, object, person, etc.

The like has become so much more than just a positive reaction we express towards something someone has posted or updated. This simple function has become an incredibly influential tool both for the sender and the receiver. Used in a positive way, it can promote self-esteem, self-worth, feelings of acceptance and online socialization.

Its significance stems from both social incentives, because like affects the way other people perceive us, and individual incentives, because it impacts how we feel about ourselves.

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Uber, WhatsApp, Amazon and Apple. Strange bedfellows? Not really. They are all market disruptors. But precisely what is it that makes them that?

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Despite the fact that they operate in different industries, these companies all have at least one significant thing in common: Each has developed technology that either lowers the cost of goods or services, creates an additional supply of goods or services or does both. The result is that these companies have given access (to their goods and services) to a larger portion of society than had it in the past.

The concept of market disruption is nothing new. It’s been around since the beginning of time, or at least of human civilization: Industrial-size looms for weaving. Gutenberg’s printing press. Whitney’s cotton gin. The internet. Humanity is always trying to make tasks easier and more efficient, and that instinct has resulted in an increase of supply often bringing with it lower prices — and market disruption.

What’s the problem?

Although some of the nascent technological disruptors may not have set out to expressly solve problems, their solutions have done just that.

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Uber’s technological disruption has increased the number of personal transportation providers available to customers. WhatsApp’s technological disruption has increased access to mobile messaging by lowering fees, Amazon’s initial technological disruption effectively increased access to a larger variety of products at lower costs. And Apple’s initial technological disruption allowed greater public access to computer systems, enabling people to become more productive.

Along the way, much academic discussion has examined whether disruption causes companies to fail or to succeed. (But we’ll just leave that determination to those who live in ivory towers.)

Piggybacking? You bet.

Unlike 30 years ago, lots of robust technology platforms exist today as a result of having been built upon the technological achievements of previous disruptors. The new disruptors have understood that it’s not always necessary to reinvent the wheel.

Uber, WhatsApp and Amazon were all developed on established software platforms. Apple, in contrast, had to develop new technology platforms from the ground up. So Apple illustrates the fact that some disruptors do have to develop new technology platforms; but there are plenty of examples where existing platforms have made developing disruptive technologies significantly easier.

Consider Uber, for example: The ubiquity of smartphones enabled it to create a technology platform that quickly and conveniently connects almost anyone who wants to provide transportation services with people in need of transportation services, all while reducing the costs of service providers.

Similarly, the prevalence of mobile phones with internet access allowed WhatsApp to develop applications that allow people all over the word to send messages to one other across IP networks, as opposed to sending messages in SMS format. WhatsApp’s applications has resulted in greater access to messaging at a low cost.

Widespread access to the worldwide web, as it was called in the good old days, allowed Amazon to create a digital storefront to sell goods to anyone in the country while at the same time eliminating the need for, and thus the costs associated with, brick and mortar stores. Amazon was certainly not the first disruptor to use this model: Sears had been using a printed catalog since the late 1800s to do something similar; but Amazon definitely improved upon in it.

Apple’s initial technological disruption, meanwhile, was much more general and less targeted than that of Uber, WhatsApp or Amazon. And Apple’s disruption allowed greater access to computer technology in order to enable people to systematize their businesses and personal lives.

Although developing new technologies can have its benefits — Apple today is the world’s largest and most profitable company by a large margin — there is still huge success to be had developing technological disruptions that piggyback on mature technology platforms. Just ask Uber, WhatsApp and Amazon.

So, what’s your problem? Are you ready to be disruptive?

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I believe everyone here has known Hollywood right? And also Plywood? As we know, Hollywood has become the house of the best actor, best movie, best music, and many more. Also Plywood for its unique dance, song, and clothes such as Sari. Now… How about K-pop? Have you ever heard anything about K-pop? Have you ever seen any k-pop fan girls shouting like crazy to their idols? Will you think they have wasted a lot of time thinking about their idols 2417 rather than studying? If you think in this way, I think you’ve misunderstood those children who chase after Korean idols. I am a huge fan of KOP. I started becoming a KOP fan girl from 2009 until now. Before I am so into KOP I used to be a person who gives up easily, doesn’t have any dreams, and doesn’t really like to talk to people. The past 5 years of my fangirl life had its ups and downs, joy and tears, excitement, and fulfillment. One thing for sure, I do not regret every single moment of it. Some would say I kind of wasted my 5 years of my life for KOP. One who does not experience it would surely never understand. The Journey helped me learn more, gain more, and enhance my skills more. The most important thing that ever happens to me was I improved my communication skills a lot by making friends with different fans. If I have never entered the world of k-pop, I will not be able to step closer to one of my dreams. As u can tell, If not for KOP I would not have experienced this Journey. It Is not really how KOP changed me but how KOP helped me acquire and learn all those things that I know will be helpful in the future.

In the Arab world, most companies and entrepreneurs, especially those who are not tech-focused, tend to concentrate their digital marketing efforts on Facebook, given that the social media platformfrom the region.

But the problem with Facebook nowadays is that with the algorithm for its News Feed changing, the reach for a Facebook page’s status update is around 0.5% of the page’s fans- this is the same rate Twitter provides as well. Even worse, organic reach of the content brands publish in Facebook is destined to hit zero,” Marshall Manson, Managing Director of Social at one of the world’s largest ad agencies. “It’s only a matter of time.” What this means is that all the effort and money you have put into advertising your Facebook page to collect fans is not providing a justified return on investment (ROI)- the reason for this is because Facebook essentially now wants page admins to advertise further. Marketers cannot now reach a sizable percentage of their Facebook page fans unless they advertise on each update they publish. This implies that the good old days of needing only interesting content to market your brand on Facebook are gone!

But it is important here to remember that there are other digital marketing weapons that are social in nature and that can provide any business with much better results, reach, engagement, conversion and ROI than Facebook and Twitter- these are what are called content marketing, email marketing, mobile messenger marketing, and SMS marketing.

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Consider email marketing for instance. , the number of email users in the world is around 2.6 billion, which is much more than that Facebook’s 1.6 billion. Also, email open rate is around 20%, according to MailChimp, a figure that is much higher than Facebook or Twitter- when you send an email to your list, everyone receives that email in their inbox, and around 20% open it, if you used a trusted email marketing service provider. On Facebook and Twitter, this reach is less than 0.5%. A survey by McKinsey & Company finds that email is nearly .

In a similar vein, mobile messengers like WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook Messenger are effective marketing weapons for business to use, especially with the aid of bots. WhatsApp has around 1 billion users, with Facebook Messenger also sharing a similar user count, and Telegram has more than 100 million users. These numbers are only set to grow in this region, as , with the UAE now having 83% penetration, and Saudi Arabia having 58% in Q2 2015.

But it is SMS has the highest reach among people in the Arab world. Mobile penetration in many Arab countries exceeds the number of people living in these countries, as everyone who has a mobile has SMS enabled by default. It’s also worth noting that , with 90% of all text messages read within three minutes of being received. But when looking at all of three above options, one must remember that email, mobile messenger and SMS marketing should be opt-in, and not mass-scale spam.

which consists of mainly blogging, on the other hand, is a different game altogether. Its reach depends on the type and quality of content you publish, and the marketing you perform to gain readers to each post and to the blog as a whole as well. The goal of your content marketing effort is to build regular readership- every effort you make to bring new users to your blog helps in turning them to become loyal readers, who would come back to read interesting articles on your blog or become an email subscriber, a social media follower or even an SMS subscriber, which makes them more likely to buy from you than from your competitor.

Blogging is also the best way to drive traffic from organic reach. You can then use social media, email marketing and SMS marketing to drive traffic to your blog, and from your blog, you can drive more users who follow all these channels, and thus convert blog readers into paying customers and turn many of them into becoming your brand advocates, and further position your brand as a After all, a user who follows you on Twitter or Facebook will rarely type the URL of your page or account and visit it, but with your blog, many will do just that, and many will come back to visit as well, if you have a regularly updated blog with interesting posts. At the same time, your brand success ratio from blogging in the Arab world would be much higher than other regions of the world, since few brands in the Arab world use blogging in their marketing- and Arab users are hungry for quality content in Arabic.

To conclude, businesses and entrepreneurs who invest only on are missing a lot and not utilizing the hard earned currency they have, taking into account what was mentioned above regarding reach and open rate. Businesses that wish to utilize digital marketing the best way to reach the maximum possible amount of customers (and have the highest conversion rates in the most cost-effective way) should start with content marketing as the center of all their other digital marketing tools. This should be followed by marketing via SMS and mobile messengers, then email, and finally, social media.