Facebook's positive outlook

Perhaps one of the greatest elements of Facebook's success is that it is an inherently positive medium. For brands, this is obviously terrific. If consumers ‘like' a brand on Facebook, then this news is broadcast on their profile page and within the news feeds of their friends and extended networks. Great news for brands obviously as others can see what their friends like and decide to like it too. However, when a consumer decides they don't like a brand, or ‘unlike' a brand for whatever reason, this news is not broadcast. It just quietly happens and nobody is any the wiser. Good work Facebook. Good work. It's almost the opposite of the real world where the rough maxim is if a brand or business does something you don't like, then you are likely to tell seven people about your bad experience and are less likely to tell people about positive experiences.
 
I'm not criticising. Honestly, I'm not. It's just a very smart move by Facebook in creating a much more positive environment for brands and businesses to engage with consumers. The odds are much more in their favour. However, although Facebook is giving brands a clear leg up here, the very nature of the medium means that if a brand acts irresponsibly or poorly towards a fan or potential customer, then that fan has the ability not just to speak to 7 people about their bad experience, but over half a billion people. Swings and roundabouts then. If you act responsibly and appropriately towards your fans or customers then they will spread the word, whether they mean to or not. Even if they decide they no longer want to be a fan or customer then similarly, as a brand it is unlikely to be broadcast. However, if you act badly towards them, the technology is there for fans to do some serious damage.
 
Anyway, that was not what I intended to write about. It just struck me, that's all. What I really wanted to write about was what I don't like. Whilst all this positivity is good for brands, it's not good for me. I take infinitely greater pleasure out of disliking things than in liking things. The most successful apps and games on Facebook allow users to say something about themselves, be that brands or games or whatever, that they ‘like' personality games or whatever. Yeah great, I understand that. But there are so many more things that I dislike than I like and to be frank, I'd much rather be defined by the things I don't like. I take no pleasure from someone who says: "Hey, you know what, I really like kittens" because ultimately, I find it really dull. I'd be much more interested in hearing from someone who says "Hey, you know what, I really can't stand kittens with their stupid cute little faces and soft little paws and their meowing and their affection for wool". As it happens, I am relatively indifferent to kittens, but I chuffing hate swans. I hate loads of things to be honest so I think from here on in, I'm going to make a note of all the things I don't like, because they are much more interesting. Not in this post, but soon. And I think it is going to be very cathartic.

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