Three Reasons to Dislike Too Many Likes

Savvy communications executives have figured out that garnering lots of Facebook likes is easy to do with a few Facebook ad placements. Results come quickly, even if they don’t mean much in an organization’s grand marketing scheme. When your organization joined the platform, it was probably the only performance metric that mattered.  But now the metric is engagement.  And too many likes – or rather too many of the wrong likes – can come back to haunt you.

Facebook uses a complex algorithm to decide who among your Page followers gets to see any given post. On average, only 16% of those who have “liked” your Facebook Page will ever see the content you post organically (without your organization paying to promote it). The number of those who engage with your content (i.e., like, comment, share) is what determines how many others will see it.  If your followers were not carefully targeted, your posts are unlikely to reach your motivated fans. An excessively large pool of the wrong followers may, in fact, ensure that most of your content is hidden from the very audience you want to reach.

1. Too many likes decreases the odds that a follower who sees your posts will be interested in your content. Even your highest quality content is more likely to be ignored.
2. The more followers who ignore your content, the greater the odds Facebook’s algorithm will show that post and your future posts to fewer people.
3. What if a follower who sees your posts does engage with your content? If that follower falls outside your target audience, Facebook’s algorithm will be more likely to channel your future posts toward the wrong demographic.

Facebook provides the tools to avoid these pitfalls, but mastering these tools takes experience, training and skill. Platform expertise is a must. Technical knowledge doesn’t mean much, however, without a depth of brand marketing and  advocacy communications experience. A successful Facebook messaging strategy must point efficiently toward the correct audience, and provide the audience with compelling, high-value content.

Keep in mind that during the holidays Facebook sees a sharp increase in advertising. Many of these ads are shown in users’ newsfeeds.  Since there is limited space in users’ newsfeeds, this means that the 16% average of your Page followers who ever see you posts organically decreases dramatically  — even as low as <1%.

Dominion Strategies combines platform expertise with decades of communications experience. Our award-winning campaigns take full advantage of the latest communications technologies to optimize your paid, earned and owned media to achieve your brand management and advocacy goals.