Advertisements Operate on "Initial Evidence": The True Relationship Between Likes and Clicks — The "Two Influences" of Social Advertising

1. Breaking News: The Reality that Likes Increase but Clicks Struggle to Grow

"The more likes, the better." This intuition of social media marketing was cooled by an article published on Phys.org on October 22, 2025. The latest research published in the Journal of Marketing presents a practical conclusion that while the “first like” can boost clicks, additional likes primarily increase the number of likes themselves and have little effect on clicks. Phys.org

2. The Key is "Two Types of Social Influence"

The research team (Song Lin from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Shan Huang from The University of Hong Kong) dissected the influence exerted through "likes" displayed in social media ads into **normative influence (conformity) and informational influence (credibility)**. The first like strongly evokes both, while additional likes only enhance normative influence ("everyone is liking it, so I will too"), but the informational value diminishes, and clicks plateau, they concluded. Phys.org

3. Experimental Design: Verification in the WeChat Field

This study was conducted in the practical setting of WeChat Moments ads, further supported by multiple online experiments and theoretical models. The key points are as follows:

• Displaying the first like significantly boosts both likes and clicks.

• Additional likes raise the CTR for unknown or emerging brands, while the effect is limited for well-known brands.

• Overall, even if likes accumulate, the marginal utility of CTR is small.
  These findings are consistently described in the SSRN public version and university repository abstracts. MIT Initiative on the Digital EconomySSRN

4. Strategy on What to "Show"

If the goal is awareness, it is reasonable to design to show likes, utilizing normative influence. If the goal is acquisition
, a trade-off design is needed to secure the "evidence" of the first like that easily generates clicks, while avoiding excessive exposure (dilution of informational value = appearing as "just people clicking"). Phys.org's summary also emphasizes the suggestion to **"show the first like" and "not show too much."** Phys.org

5. Implications for Platform Design

Just as Instagram temporarily experimented with hiding like counts, the extent to which "likes are shown" is fundamental to product design. The research indicates that visualization strengthens normative influence but may dilute informational value, supporting a compromise of **gradual display (e.g., only the first one or a few).** Phys.org

6. Consistency and Differences with Related Research

• Research in the Facebook context reports that "the click effect of additional likes varies depending on the type of ad (informational/CTA)." Particularly in informational types, a 3% increase in CTR per 100 likes has been observed, showing design-dependent differences. The conclusion of "plateauing on average" shown in the current WeChat experiment should be interpreted in the context of platform and creative conditions. news.mccombs.utexas.edu

• Large-scale field experiments (involving tens of millions of users) have also shown that the effectiveness of social ads varies greatly depending on category and product characteristics. Therefore, a "universal number of likes" does not exist. MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy

7. Summary of SNS Reactions (Initial Observations)

• LinkedIn: The Journal of Marketing official shared the key points of this research (the strength of the "first like"). Among field marketers, discussions are active on the topic that **"the initial trust signal truly moves the CTR."** LinkedIn

• Bluesky (Suggestions from the Operations Side): In a post by the COO, it was stated that **"links can sometimes get 3 to 4 times more clicks than likes."** The asymmetry of Like≠Click is becoming widely recognized. Bluesky Social

• Movements of Aggregation Sites: The relevant article on Phys.org has been featured on news aggregators like SciURLs and Buzzing, spreading interest in the marketing community. sciurls.com

The "SNS reactions" here are extracted from the latest posts and official shares directly related to the research points (the divergence between Like and Click, the importance of the first like). Individual comments or personal opinions from threads are avoided, focusing on trends and implications.

8. Practical Operation Tips (Checklist)

• Labeling Objectives: Awareness or acquisition. Separate KPIs (ER/CTR/CVR).

• Securing Initial "Evidence": Early assignment of the first like (endorsement by creators/brands, UGC recommendations, etc.).

• Limit on Display Numbers: Test the line where "intimidation by numbers" does not dilute informational value (A/B: display 1 vs. few vs. all). Phys.org

• Branching by Brand Maturity: Emerging brands may see an increase in CTR with additional likes. If already well-known, focus on **context (copy, evidence links, evaluation)** rather than numbers. SAGE Journals

• Platform-Specific Design: In environments where link clicks are likely (e.g., Bluesky), prioritize optimization of the click context. Bluesky Social

9. Conclusion

Likes create social air, Clicks move with "evidence of conviction."
Therefore, the first like is highly valuable to show. On the other hand, just piling up numbers dulls clicks. Considering platform and brand conditions, optimizing **"the number of items to show" and "how to show them"** according to advertising objectives is likely to become the operational norm in 2025. Phys.org