Why Earning “Likes” Matters
When brands think of establishing or building their presence on Facebook, they think of Facebook “likes,” and understandably so. “Likes” are a brand’s currency on Facebook—they are a both a literal and figurative symbol of current and prospective customers’ alignment with the brand, its products and services, and what the brand stands for.
Because the number of “likes” can serve as a proxy for overall brand sentiment (having more “likes” often means more people like a brand in real life, too), a common first goal of brands on Facebook is to get “likes,” and as many as possible. The Facebook “like” starts an online marketing funnel, one that drives marketing efforts and business results offline. The more people entering that funnel, the more people there are to activate as customers, and ultimately, as passionate advocates for the brand, both online and off.
The true benefit of a Facebook “like,” then, is as a critical first—not final—step in a Facebook social strategy.
“Likes” build future relationships.
Facebook is a network of visible relationships and activity: people can see what their friends are doing on Facebook, and can see when their friends “like” and interact with a brand. The endorsement a friend’s “like” provides is a powerful tool. It becomes a way for future customers to learn about and start placing trust in a brand based on the actions of those they already trust—their friends.
Working to earn and increase Facebook “likes” serves another purpose, as well: a “like” is the first step to creating a direct media channel between a brand and its customers. By “liking” a brand’s page, fans of the brand don’t just agree to receive future messages from the brand, they’re actively signing up for them.
Brands have to work to keep that channel open, though. The Facebook algorithm for users’ newsfeeds shows only the content (from friends or brands) that a user interacts with frequently. The more a user interacts, the more prominence a brand’s message will have in their newsfeed. The reverse is true as well: the less a user interacts with a brand’s page the less exposure that user will have to a brand’s messaging.
That means brands need to think carefully, from the beginning, about not only what kind of content will get people to engage consistently over time, but also how that content will serve to achieve the brand’s larger business goals.
“Likes” are only the beginning.
By our philosophy, a brand needs current and future customers to pass through four stages in order to drive action: Awareness, Alignment, Activation and Advocacy. A brand must create different content (often in different channels) for customers and prospects at different stages of the funnel.
Prospective customers need content that captures their attention and interest enough to align themselves with a brand through a “like.” Those who’ve already “liked” a brand need reasons to continue to interact substantively both on- and offline, and to have content that helps them advocate for the brand.
Only alignment, however, can be measured with a “like”; the other desired outcomes require different metrics. What those metrics are depends on the specific business results a brand wants, and what actions it wants its current and future customers to take. Paying attention only to “likes”—whether in content development or in measurement—can mean missing out on converting customers to the next phase of their relationships with a brand, and of knowing when and how that happened.
