I LIKE this!

Let’s face it, when it comes to add-ons and plugins and toolbars, as site and blog owners we are inundated with choices of what is important and what is just a distraction. I find myself being taken in by gadgets and widgets from other sites- commentluv, sexy bookmarks, follow me this, or fan me that… when does it all end?

It can be confusing and overwhelming choosing the right CTAs or calls-to-action for a website, so why would you want someone to ‘Like’ your post instead of “Tweet this” or “Digg it”? Well, I know not all sites are built alike, but when it comes to blogging in general, the more eyes on a post or page, the better. And in the end, Facebook has the numbers to crush  Twitter, Digg, and thousands of other social sites combined.

So it comes down to the ultimate question: “Why is it important for me to add the Facebook Like button to my site? I mean, I already have an option for people to share with facebook… Why add another button?”

Here’s why Like might win out for your site over other popular options:

• People will click it!

Sure, people may use that sexy bookmark widget a few times, they may even click on tweetmeme, but there is NO DOUBT they will click on “Like”. Why? Because Facebook has found a way to reduce user friction. There is no signing in (most users are already signed in to their facebook accounts), no redrafting why you are sharing, no filling out lines of information about your name, your email, your website, the name of your first born, etc. It’s simple, easy, and they know what it means, and if they get a kick out of it, they are bound to ‘Like’ it.

• People are familiar with “Like”

It was recently estimated that there are over 350 million registered Facebook Users and growing, and almost half the users log-in daily! That’s 175 million people that are potential ‘likers’ or friends of ‘likers’ (-Techcrunch). That’s over 350 million users that are already familiar with what “Like” means, and actually use it. In fact, Facebook recently changed “Become a fan” to like because:

” people click “Like” almost two times more than they click “Become a Fan” everyday.” -Facebook

So basically, Facebook already did the leg work and research for you, all you have to do is post something likeable

• Peer Pressure

I mean, all the cool kids are doing it… OK, I don’t have hard statistics for you, but I know when my friends start liking things, I feel more compelled to like it myself. What’s great about the new button is seeing familiar faces associated with liking a link. It’s almost like a group mentality, everyone wants to be apart of it:

• Grow your audience

Like I said before, 350 million people! Anyone signed up can like your post and it publishes straight to their wall, which goes into their friend’s feeds. This means their friends can see what they like, click on it, like it themselves, and that goes into THEIR friend’s stream and so on and so forth. The possibilities are exponential…

• Cut out your Fanpage

OMG WHAT? Did I just say that?? Well, if you’re anything like me, you might be lost in the world of a million accounts, posting and commenting back and forth, keeping up with stats on groups, pages, posts, twitter, digg, and everything in between. We know we need to do it in order to reach different audiences, but we also wish there was a way to mash them all together so as to have better control of it all. Well folks, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a fanpage,but if you’re not a serial poster or just do not have time to grow and monitor your fanpage, the new FB like button is really a way to cut out the fan page altogether.

I’ll reiterate it again, I’m not saying you should not create a fanpage, I’m just saying, if you are notorious for neglecting them, perhaps you can use this Like button as a substitute to get others to share your work. In the end, people are still commenting and liking the link in their streams, which is the point all along.

• It’s  easy to do – I mean come on, I did it…

For Word Press users, you can choose from a dozen plugins that already do the work for you- just activate and go. I decided to use “Kouguu FB Like”, and it has a really customize area if you prefer to put the button before or after a post, darker or lighter colors, or want to change ‘like’ to the recommend option. If you aren’t a WP user, check out Lyndon’s post on How to Add a Facebook Like Button to a Webpage.

After all that being said, the Like button is not a miracle cure for everything. It cannot, in fact, make your post more likeable or viral. That is up to you and the value of the content.  However, if you have to choose between one more fancy gadget, the Facebook Like button should be a heavy contender.

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Notes: Yes I did in fact just use the word ‘Like’ 29 times in this post, and No I’m not a Valley Girl.