Some call it the 'Dislike' button while others call it the 'Empathy' button, either way it has been in demand on Facebook for quite some time. Now that we have word of its release, what can business owners and marketers do to make the most of it?

Pros 

The new button will give users a chance to express empathy. Most people want to show their support, but they do not actually 'Like' the tragic, personal post you just shared. They do want to show empathy, though. 

This may even move into more light hearted territories, maybe you dislike cat photos (don't worry, no one like that exists) or artistic sunset photos.

Actually, why would businesses and marketers even care? Well, it is a new way to collect data. 

This rich seam of data will be invaluable to marketers and advertisers. They will soon be able to market to you based on how much empathy you show with someone else.

They will be able to target you based on competitive data about what you do not like.
 Eileen Brown 

As someone in the industry, or a business owner, you may fear your infographic received more dislikes than you can count.

Usually, unless you are sharing upsetting content, that should not be the case. However, if you are a social media advertiser (and enjoy Facebook advertising), you will have a larger range of information to better speak to your customers and audience. 

Cons

For brands, I think the button poses some risks. Yes, it provides another low barrier engagement option which will result in widespread participation. However, there has been a trend that consumers shame brands freely — sometimes not in the most productive ways.
Katy Keim, Lithium

As with anything that gives the ability to show contempt, there will be people who do take advantage of it.

Everyone knows there are trolls on the internet, and while this may give them more tools to work with, if you are going to be targeted you will most likely be targeted with or without a 'Dislike' button. 

One thing to keep in mind moving forward where content is king, relevancy and quality are important. You should only fear the dislike button if your strategy is annoying, controversal, or you give poor customer service. 

If you create high quality items, people will not have a hard time finding or engaging with you.