Edgerank has released a study that explores the significance of Facebook comments and likes. The study shows that when a post is liked by a user, it will receive roughly 3.1 clicks. If users begin to comment on the post, it will receive 14.68 clicks, which is 4.73 times, nearly 5 times the clicks over a single like.
Edgerank also analyzed shares and clicks for days of the week, discovering that Wednesday was a leader in both higher share and click ratios.
If you’re wondering about the data set, the collection was a random sample of over 5,500 Facebook Pages, analyzing 80,000 posts that were made throughout October 2011.
Even with the strong data, Facebook shares remain king when it comes to value – greater than likes or even comments. When asking a friend to share something you’re promoting a potential viral effect, sending a wave throughout Facebook. Also, even though a comment or like stays on someone’s wall (Timeline, coming soon), a share is promoted directly to the Facebook news feed, increasing the chances of more people seeing it.
AddThis has accumulated data to create the top shared content of 2011, noting that users are more likely to share the most around 9:30AM EST, and that 75% of clicks on a share are done so within the first day of sharing. Sharing actions are swift, most users share within two minutes of seeing the content.