Have you ever gone to a business page on Facebook and wondered if you should Like or Follow the page? Maybe to the everyday person using Facebook, that isn’t a thought or battle. But, to someone attempting to gauge the success of a page or campaign, it is important!
There is a saying, “A Like is great, a Follow is better.” That can go towards all of your social analytics, in my opinion. It’s great for someone to Like your post or Like your story, but Following you could potentially drive engagement, traffic, and conversion. I promise the latter half of that sentence is better. Here’s how it works, specifically on Facebook:
- If someone Likes your company page, they could receive updates on it. The page will show up in their About section. In the end, it simply increases your number of likes.
- If someone Follows your company page, they will receive the page’s updates and posts in their newsfeed. Why is this important? ENGAGEMENT. CONVERSION. REACH. If someone is Following your page and wants to see updates, it is assumed they are genuinely interested in your product or service. If the updates are in their newsfeed, they are more likely to react to your post and potentially share it.
How do you silently persuade a Follow over a Like?
The everyday Facebook user probably has no idea these are separate things, making this easy. On your company page, there is an option choose what type of button you want at the top. Think strategically about what your goal here is. If you have an e-commerce site, I advise having it as Shop Now. If you have a business that offers services, I advise Book Now. However, if your current or overall goal is to drive engagement and follower counts, change that button to Follow.
Facebook announced they were removing the options of Like or Follow to just Follow. However, that was announced over a year ago and you still have both options. Who knows when or if it will change. Facebook has been flirting with the idea of removing many features. But, until then, opt for a follow. It will help you seek the right audience and weed out the ones bringing down your engagement and reach.
all the love & espresso,
kierst