The value of a Page Like (previously known as Fan) has changed in significance dramatically in the last 4 years, when the dreaded Facebook algorithm was born.
The impact of a Page Like on your over-all popularity has lost it’s importance in the big scale of things in favour of percentage page/post reach .
It used to be the case with a Page Like that it meant your fans saw your posts – your valuable, highly crafted, audience targeted content. But that is not the case anymore and hasn’t been for some time.
(They say that ‘organic reach is down’ – but that’s a whole different story and I can prove that using carefully crafted content high reach is doable)
In fact a post like has more long term value to influencing the ‘know, like and trust factor’ of your target audience than a Page Like.
The significance of a Facebook Page Like has gradually faded to the lower levels of awareness right in front of your eyes, but in such a way you probably hadn’t even noticed.
Remember the big Page thumbs-up icon back in the day? Where is it now? Without actually looking do you know where the ‘like’ button is?
Do you know you can Unfollow a Page’s content directly from the news feed?
About a year ago the Increase Page Likes option was even removed from the advert manager option on the front objective page and now comes under engagement.
Last week Facebook started the migration of Likes to Community and now only show total likes as opposed to new likes.
Of course a Page Like has a value, but not the same type of value it did a few years ago.
A Page Like is no-longer the social currency it once was and those that have focused on it for so long, and now can’t help themselves, are the ones who are suffering the most. The old-school method of asking for Page Likes is so 2010.
Unless people are really interested in what you have to tell them they will not see your posts anyway.
There is now more ‘information’ in the news feed than ever before, but our ability to consume it has not changed. There are limits to how much you can see in one day, and Facebook now makes the decisions for you as to what you would prefer to see or not see.
The Facebook Page Like popularity contest is becoming obsolete. The landscape has changed and you need to take note.
A Page like in isolation has very little statistical value, but throw in post likes, comments, shares, social connections & web activity you start to create a list of characteristics that is more akin to a psychological profile. This is also the cornerstone of Facebook Ads.
Every action you and your tribe take on Facebook contributes to every piece of collective data about you and what you really like and whether your Page is of interest to others. You can’t fool the Facebook algorithm, but you can train it.
Which is why there has never been a better time to focus on post likes, post reach and engagement.
How do you do this? Create content that is of interest to your fans, tells a story and resonates as to why people should pick you. Identify the right people at the right time. Start small and grow slowly. You are in this for the long-haul there’s no rush.
The solopreneur has the edge on this. You are the Facebook Mechanic. The Facebook Engineers who can share information about you, your service with passion and purpose. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just make progress and post!