Will brands ditch the Facebook like for subscribe?

Cody is the Social Media Manager at Piehead

The Facebook “like” button has without a doubt been a huge success. Brands around the world have implemented the button on everything from their website to individual online products. However, there may be a new favorite in town for brands.

According to SiliconRepublic,a Facebook spokesperson has told them that the company will soon be rolling out the “subscribe” plugin, similar to the button that currently lives within Facebook and allows users to get an individual’s updates without having to be their friend. The plugin will allow developers to put the subscribe button on their websites, allowing visitors to request the brands updates in their news feed.

So, why would this replace the now infamous like? Well, there’s been a lot of talk about Facebook’s EdgeRank, the algorithm that decides what updates appear in an individuals news feed once they like a page. While no one, except Facebook, really knows the specifics of the algorithm, many say that it hides up to 90% of page updates. Not surprising, if you saw every update from a page you liked, you’d be pretty overwhelmed. Regardless, this makes it difficult for brands trying to engage individuals and build loyalty. Brands put so much effort into getting a “like,” but now struggle to get back in front of that person. Here’s where the subscribe plugin may help.

With the subscribe feature, users are actively saying they want to see these updates in their news feed. While it’s not 100% clear how the subscribe button is affected by Facebook’s EdgeRank algorithm, one would think, because the user is actively acknowledging they want to see updates, that it would appear more often in that user’s news feed. It makes sense if you think about it, when you visit a Page and “like” it, you’re not necessarily saying you want to see that brand’s updates, you’re just saying you “like” them.

Which do you think is more valuable to a brand?

Update: Facebook has just released the subscribe button to developers of certain publishing brands, such as the Washington Post. However, it would appear that the subscribe button is still for individual Facebook users only and not brand pages.. While it’s not yet known when brands will have access to the subscribe feature, here are several use cases with the button attached to a reporter persona.