Here's How Facebook's 'Dislike' Button Could Pan Out For Advertisers

In a public Q&A on Wednesday, Facebook Inc FB creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company was working on creating a "dislike button" in response to overwhelming demand from users. The button made waves on the Internet as the social media site's users debated whether or not such a move would be a good one for the company.

However, it is big brands whose marketing strategies have long entwined with Facebook that are most worried about how such a button could effect their businesses.

Empathy

Zuckerberg assured users that the button was being developed as a way for people to express empathy rather than disdain. He referenced situations in which people post moments of grief or loss on the site, saying that liking such statuses could feel uncomfortable, and a dislike button would give people a way to show support.

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This could be true for brands who want to create social awareness for a specific issue. Posting things like news articles or videos that draw attention to unfairness or inequality could prompt people to interact positively using the dislike button.

Disdain

What many are worried about is the possibility that a dislike button could essentially become a way for users to express negative feelings about a person, status or brand. Social media is a tricky space for marketers to navigate as campaigns that were meant to draw positive attention to a particular brand often end up transforming into negativity and ridicule on social media sites. A large number of dislikes on a brand's posts could take away from a brands overall popularity more so than negative comments would.

With the new button in its early stages, big brands are likely working on ways to ensure that their posts make the most of the new function and avoid what could become a barrage of negativity.