Whether you’re a newbie to Facebook, or several years into it, you may not be clear on where all those Facebook button clicks go.
For example, when browsing the web, you often have the opportunity to “Like,” “Share,” or “Comment” on something through Facebook. Also, when reviewing your friend’s updates on your Facebook Newsfeed, you are also given the same options. So, where do your Like, Share and Comments show up on Facebook? It can be a bit confusing knowing the result of each of these actions.
Here’s the scoop:
These actions on the web and on your Newsfeed are very much the same. Likes, Shares and Comments on outside websites are typically of articles, blog posts, or web sites or pages themselves, while these same actions on Facebook are of personal updates and photos initiated by others within the social network.
First, if you “Like” something, it will show up in your profile under your “Likes,” and based on your privacy settings, others can view these. Similarly you can see your friend’s “Likes” on their Profile pages. Facebook uses categories such as Books, Movies, Sports Teams, Organizations, etc., where your Likes are filed or can be searched and selected.
Facebook will occasionally use your “Likes” in regular updates to your friends, e.g., “Bob likes Target,” right after you Like it. These days, it seems only a few “Likes” of friends show up in my Newfeed, perhaps because Facebook wants to charge companies to display Likes, or maybe because my Friends aren’t that active in clicking the Like button. I’ve never seen a “Like” of a “friend of a friend “show up, probably because wouldn’t care since I usually don’t know that person. However, Facebook uses your past Likes in sponsored display ads you may see in the right column, though noted in smaller type under the ad, e.g., “Joe likes Capitol One.” Likes seem to be primarily used for serving up ads.
As for Comments or Shares, they are much more prominent than “Likes” in the Newsfeed. They appear along with your original Updates in your own Profile page and on the Newsfeeds of “friends” or “friends of friends” (based on your privacy settings) .
When you comment on something, it will embed a link and usually an image and snippet of the original article, webpage, or post, along with your comment. When you Share something, it shows up in your friend’s Newsfeeds as if you had posted it yourself, though perhaps somewhat less often, based on Facebook’s algorithms. For some of my Friends, all I see is their Shares and they have little of their own content. It will say “Your Friend shared Their Friend’s (or Organization’s they Like) Photo” or, if it is merely a post it may say “”Your Friend via Their Friend or Liked Organization.”
What about Sharing, Liking or Commenting your own content? You can do this and based on timing and other factors it may get your content re-posted to your friend’s Newsfeeds.
Hope that clears things up! Please post your questions below.
