Admit it, every time you get a new page like, you get a little kick of adrenaline. We’ve all spent years chasing likes on our Facebook pages. For a long time, it was the de facto metric people looked at to judge success. That moment when you got more likes than a competitor was a shot in the arm, and it helped keep you motivated. And the best part was, the more likes, the more likely it was that people would see your content. However, social media today is vastly different from what it was even a year ago. It’s important to know when to reevaluate how you judge your success and figure out if you’re looking for success in the wrong places.
Do My Page Likes Really Matter?
It’s not a simple “yes or no” question, but it certainly leans more towards “no.” Social proof will always have value, and the number of fans you have is a big part of that. If you start to lose large chunks of followers, then you need to figure out why. However, the reality is that the numbers are only surface level information, so make sure you understand what you’re looking at.
Early on, Facebook would take the number of fans you had and serve your content to most of them. You could rest assured that your content was reaching your fans, and the higher your likes, the bigger your audience. Due to changes in how Facebook populates timelines, with a focus on person-to-person interactions, you can no longer count on your audience seeing your content often, if at all. That means you need to learn more engaging organic content and perhaps you need to rely on Facebook Ads.
What About My Revenue?
A common misconception many page managers have is that likes correlate with revenue. In reality, only about 1% of users that like a brand on Facebook actually visit that brand’s page. Users seldom venture outside of their timeline, meaning that your likes aren’t doing you any favors when you’re trying to get in front of new eyes.
What Is The Alternative?
To fully take advantage of your social presence, you need to drill down into what results you want to see and tailor your ads to that specific goal. Instead of boosting an ad to get likes, try for a website traffic ad. Your ultimate goal is to encourage site traffic, so go after that metric directly instead of hoping the people who like your page actually find their way to your site.
Ads can also be excellent for building brand awareness. Awareness ads focus on getting impressions for your content, which will make your other ads far more successful down the line. The “Seven Times factor” is a well-known marketing adage for good reason. On average, a customer will see your content 7 times before purchasing. Getting yourself in front of new eyes is essential, and using awareness ads can help keep your brand consistently recognized.
Seeing those likes grow feels great, but with the constant changes to Facebook’s algorithm, it’s time to let go of the vanity statistics and find a way to truly build your brand. Keep your brand in the public eyes, keep finding unique ways to engage your audience, and watch your revenue soar, regardless of how many likes you have.
