This is good news for users, who are now freed from responding to bad news (say, a friend’s broken leg) with a cold, blue “thumbs up.” It’s less clear what the change means for small business owners, who will now hear from customers with a variety of emoji that could be open to interpretation.

Here are three ways you can make Facebook Reactions work for your small business:

1. Better Monitoring: Business owners can now get a much clearer snapshot of customer sentiment and alter their messages to match. For example, if a new product announcement receives lots of “mad” emoji, you might want to reconsider the launch. Conversely, posts that garner a high volume of “love” or “haha” emoji help show what type of content your audience loves most.
2. Customer Service: Seeing a lot of “sad” or “mad” emoji on unexpected posts may indicate unhappy customers. It’s a sign that something’s not right, which provides a chance to connect directly with the consumer to say, “We’re concerned and want to hear more so we can help.” This not only has the potential to turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied one, it also indicates to other followers that you’re listening and care about their opinions and satisfaction.
3. Deeper Engagement: Instead of simply asking for likes and comments, you can ask your customers to share how they feel about a given topic, creating a deeper and more engaging conversation. Now, you have a built-in way to poll your audience. For instance, a restaurant might post something like, “We’re considering participating in Meatless Mondays by offering only vegetarian entrees each Monday. What do you think?”