Why I Hate Facebook Like

08/17/2010 3 min read Written by Lynton

dislike-stamp1.jpgSocial media has been hailed as the digital word-of-mouth marketing. But, just like in real life people don’t talk unless they’ve encountered either a bad experience - like that time the customer service representative hung up on me - or a really outstanding experience - like that time that my call was actually answered by a real person who was able to connect me directly with another real person who could actually solve my problem rather than sending me in circles through a voice-operated system.

My point is that people only talk when it’s at the ends of the love-hate spectrum. Not just because they like something. So why the heck did Facebook change things from “Fan” to “Like”?

Simple. Because it's easier to convince someone they like something rather than search for fanatics, and the more pages you connect with the larger Facebook grows. All hail King Facebook.

When I used to receive an invitation to a Page, I would hear a voice inside my head ask, "are you a fan of the page, or at least the invitee?" This one little question managed to filter out a lot of the clutter. However, since Facebook has changed things,  I find myself accepting 99% of those invites. Over the past few months I have accepted hundreds of page requests and finally I had enough. The other night I spent over an hour removing myself from many of the pages and I am happy to say I am clean now.

Am I suggesting that everyone do the same? Absolutely. But what about the small businesses that we, LyntonWeb, work for. Aren't we supposed to help small businesses grow their community on Facebook?

A fan, by definition is “a person whose enthusiasm or zeal for something is extreme or beyond normal limits.” These are the people that you as page owners want. This goes back to the age old principle of quality and not quantity. So what if a thousand people like your page. You might be getting hundreds of impressions but how is that any different than buying a billboard on a busy highway? In the end you are still doing most of the work.  

Instead, I recommend that you connect with your community in a way that transforms them into fanatics, ultimately empowering them to be brand advocates. These are the ones that make it their job to influence, and that my friend is how digital word-of-mouth marketing starts.

So fans, do a little spring cleaning on your Facebook Pages and ask yourself if you are really a fan of each page. Stand up against mediocrity and vow only to be Page fanatics! You might just be doing your fellow Facebookers a favor.

Take five seconds to think of a few brands that you love. Ok. Your five seconds are over. What did you come up with? Share which brands you are a hardcore fan for with us in the comments or on Twitter (hashtag #brandFanatic).
By: Lynton

Lynton is a HubSpot Elite Partner that provides certified knowledge and tools to grow your business through integrated inbound marketing, including lead generation strategies, website designs and development, and CRM integrations.

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