Twitter drops favorite and adds like button

Twitter Drops “favorite” and Debuts “like” Button

How many favorites can you really have?

Isn’t your favorite of something above all others? If everyone is your favorite, it kind of waters down the value of being a favorite, doesn’t it?

Over time, favorite would become what ‘amazing’ has already become in recent years, since the introduction of reality TV. Everything is amazing… the date was amazing, she is amazing, and so is she, and so is she.

The leadership team at Twitter agrees with their users and has dropped the “favorite” button and added a new “like” button.

Twitter says I like you but you're no longer my favorite

Twitter product manager Akarshan Kumar said in a blog post, “You might like a lot of things, but not everything can be your favorite.”

It’s a perfect example of when consumers of a product use it how they want and not how it was originally intended. Since the launch of the favorite button, Twitter users have instead used the button the same as they use Facebook’s like button. Whether the tweet is an inspirational quote, important fact, or attention-grabbing image, users favorite tweets to show their appreciation. They reserve sharing (retweeting) for the content that really stands out.

Introduction of the new like button is also the perfect example of listening to your audience and letting them design their customer experience. While Twitter was undoubtedly trying to be different with when creating the favorite button, it was confusing for users. Different isn’t always better.

Kumar says Twitter tested the heart symbol with users and found they really love it.

He says, “The heart is more expressive, enabling you to convey a range of emotions and easily connect with people.”

What do you think of this simple switch on Twitter?

I’d really, really like it if you would follow me.