The ubiquitous Facebook "Like" button is hard to ignore these days...

That small, light blue hand icon with its thumb facing upwards is plastered on web sites and blog posts everywhere. Everyone wants to be "liked." I find it interesting that in this Like-friendly climate, countless of businesses are encouraging folks to "Like" them but not really putting in as much effort or time encouraging folks to share online reviews.

I bring this up because recently a client of ours, a doctor who heads up a medical practice in the Washington DC metro area, asked how they could get more patients to leave online reviews on Yelp. This got me thinking about online reviews vs. "Liking" on Facebook. Are they the same? Is "Liking" on Facebook a fat-free version of a positive online review?

Yes, while there are many people who will readily leave an online review (if this weren't the case, Yelp would not exist today), most folks as far as I can tell would much rather click the "Like" button to show their support or provide a "digital seal of approval." "Liking" a business is clearly a far much easier and less time consuming way of sharing with your social connections that you have some positive regard for the establishment or organization.

Is "Liking" the easy way out of leaving an online review?

By "liking" a business on Facebook or online in general, consumers get to "get out of" leaving specific (positive or negative) reviews. "Liking" is far more passive and requires much less effort than composing the traditional online review. That said, you will always have your enthusiasts who will go out of their way to leave detailed reviews. But you have to admit that the nano-second it takes to "Like" a business is easy, too easy in fact, to do.

"Likes" can sometimes be misleading

IMO, "Liking" is not equivalent to an online review. Perhaps you may relate (or not) but often when I "Like" a business online, I often am "Liking" the business to keep track of it or to remember I have saved their information for future look up rather than actually liking a business "for real" because I've been a customer.

I can't imagine I'm alone in clicking "Like" to establish a connection with a business you want to keep on your radar or to publicly showcase your interest rather than "Liking" because you've actually purchased their products or services. Therefore, I think this perspective needs to be considered when reviewing your "Likers" or the "Likers" of another business or organization. Ultimately, not all "Likers" will be direct or active customers. Still, "Likers" do provide a business with a pool of warm, like-minded folks interested in learning more or wanting to, at minimum, be connected in some shape or form.

Clearly, the value and meaning of the word "Like" has been forever transformed. And "Like" doesn't always mean the like is made by an active patron. What do you think about "Liking" and online reviews? If you are a business, how do you deal with encouraging "Likes" and online reviews from your customers?