It seems that way to me.

This notion first struck me during my recent digital clean-up; unsubscribing, sorting through and deleting various Facebook page 'likes', generally making choices and trying not to focus on so many shiny things. (For anyone who listened to Inside PR 2.82, you'll know that was my 2012 social media resolution.)

Of course we understand that just because we 'like' a brand doesn't necessarily mean we like it.  In fact, it could be just the opposite. Say I've been on the receiving end of really bad customer service, I could like a page because at that moment I actually hate the company but liking is the only way I'll be allowed to have my public rant. 

It's pretty much the same for like's new opposite: unlike. As I said, I unlike a page not necessarily because I dislike it, but because I really don't care about it (and probably never did). Maybe I was doing research, hoping to win a new client, checking out a contest or promos… The list goes on. Later, my burst of like became no more than a moment of fleeting interest. A digital glance.

Online liking is a shoulder-shrugging type of activity. Void of emotion.  Engagement-extremely-light.

Yes there's some evidence an increase in likes can boost awareness or sales. But let's dig a bit deeper. Were the likes the reason for the change or were they just part of the general awareness around a brand's social activities?

I'm not advocating that likes should be completely abandoned, but we may be assigning them too much weight.

They've begun to remind me of media impressions – big hairy numbers that look impressive and have been seen by many as a badge of success. Yet when you get right down to it, they're outputs not actions and don't amount to a hill of beans.

And in an age of 'frictionless' sharing, the like could become even more inflated, though its real value as a metric of engagement has yet to be proved.

What do you think?  I'd like to hear your take.  Really!

About Martin Waxman

Martin Waxman, MCM, is a digital communications strategist. He conducts AI research, leads digital and social media training workshops and speaks at events across North America. He's co-founder of two PR agencies, president of a consultancy and has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years. Martin is a LinkedIn Learning instructor, teaches digital strategy and social media at McMaster University, the Schulich School of Business, University of Toronto SCS and Seneca College. He's a member of the Institute for Public Relations Digital Media Research Center and a past-chair of PRSA Counselors Academy. He has a Master of Communications Management (MCM) from McMaster-Syracuse Universities.

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