By scrolling over on the "Like" option on the desktop, or by clicking on the same button on a mobile phone for more than a second, the user can choose what type of emotion he wants to transmit with respect to a comment or post.

According to Facebook, the introduction of this new functionality was born of several requests from users so that the social network allowed more ways to convey emotions in posts. In fact, Facebook's reactions were not a big surprise due to the exponential growth in the use of emoji in communications.

Emoji are small images or icons that transmit different emotions without the need to use verbal language. Emoji have been around since the late 1990s but in the last couple of years they have gained relevance that has led many companies and marketers to include them in their digital strategies. Some brands, such as Coca-Cola, came to have marketing campaigns entirely focused on emojis.

Traders have recognized that Millennials often prefer to use images instead of text to communicate, evidence of this is the hegemony of social media such as Instagram and Snapchat, in which image is central. Because it would be difficult to incorporate the hundreds of existing emojis, Facebook chose six universal emotions that could be understood independently of the culture of the users.

For businesses, Facebook Reactions provide an excellent opportunity to interact with the new generation of consumers, who are practically living in the digital environment. On the other hand, it allows them to see how their followers interpret publications rather than their interaction is reduced only to the impersonal "Like".

Analyzing these interactions can provide important insights into your marketing strategy and how it should be tailored to better "reach" your followers. If your company has a Facebook page, we advise you to be aware of your followers reactions in the publications, as they can provide you with important data for your Digital Communication Plan.