Like Us Please !
It seems you get this request on every website directing people to like a Facebook page with the goal of amassing large numbers of fans to increase their influence and ultimately profits. Now this is standard practice that is consistent and appropriate. BUT how many businesses have you liked without having ever interacted on the page? If you are anything like me, lots. Wouldn’t it make more sense to insure you had quality “likes” that would lead to higher conversion rates and not just higher fan rates? And I do understand, if you have higher amounts of fans, then the chances of converting those fans into customers seems more likely and if you have more people “liking” your page then the chances of those people’s “friends” seeing the “like” and being introduced to your brand increases. BUT just go with me on this for a minute, what would happen IF and only if those who were truly engaged with your brand “liked” you?
The Perfect Fan Base
Just as the fake “likes” from a few months ago were not benefiting conversion rates or fan engagement, are real “likes” from uninterested parties any different? The perfect fan base would all be actual users of your product, people who were invested in your brand. People, who are engaged in conversation, leave comments, read posts, and will give visibility to your brand with equally beneficial “friends”. This way, you would actually know what you were doing right and what could use a little work. If you have a huge mass of uninvolved fans, you might be mislead, skew your statistics negatively or miss important opportunities because of misinformation.
Do you cut the mustard ?
Some businesses have taken the qualified fan base to the extreme and actually qualify their fans before they are allowed to “like” them. Take Grey Poupon, yes the Dijon mustard company, they have a “society” in which one must apply for and they will evaluate your profile to see if you are the “right” type of person who they want in their fan base. And if you think that they are joking about not accepting everyone, you are wrong. They actually reject people who do not meet certain criteria. While this seems a bit crazy, they may be on to something; they may be creating the ideal fan base of truly engaged individuals.
Don’t stop “Liking” ?
Now, I am definitely not saying to stop trying to increase your likes on Facebook across the board. Don’t do that! Especially if you are a new, growing or changing business, you need visibility. I am just throwing an alternative out there, maybe it will work for you. It seems it might be best suited for specific brands which already have universal recognition and therefore can concentrate on the most devoted fans without fear of alienating possible conversions. Using a quality social media marketer and page manager will help you decide what plan of action you should take and keep you increasing your “likes” with the most qualified fans.
