Facebook and the Numbers Game

Last night, I caught myself thinking about the reasons why many small business owners and solo-entrepreneurs fail with Facebook. Is it because of the declining organic reach?

While I think the latter is partly responsible for it, I also agree with Jon Loomer when he says that,

“Brands are always looking for a way to reach the most people. Understand that this is a source of the problem. It’s brands worrying too much about a fuzzy metric and not enough about actions.”

Organic reach is not dead. The other day, a post on my photography page got more than 160 views. Note that my page only has 158 likes. (it’s fairly new.) Further, I neither uploaded the picture directly to the platform nor boosted the post. So, it’s quite the achievement, right?

When I post content there or on my social media page, my thoughts rarely stop at reach, likes, or comments. The subscriber experience is much more important to me. And when cross-posting to my personal profile, I try paying attention to the people I target.

There is nothing wrong with mixing pleasure with business on your profile, of course. However, when you do that, you may end up promoting your content, products, or services to family and friends, who often are the wrong crowd.

Business owners have also been chasing the News Feed algorithm. The latest trendy thing is irrelevant questions, as Mallie Hart states in one of her latest articles:

3. Chocolate or Vanilla?

That right there? Stupid question. A bid for easy engagement. In no way does knowing which of the two flavors you prefer benefit a business. Nor does it benefit your audience.

Will the answers to that question help you with a future article or upcoming product launch? Not unless you’re a baker, ice cream maker or own a candy counter.

A business page boasting thousands of “likes” is always impressive. However, if this number is not followed by tangible results — comments, positive reviews, and sales — what’s the point?

Every time Ellen DeGeneres posts a video or link to her page, the interaction meter is quickly off the hook. How does she (or her team) do it? She makes people feel good and special. She entertains them. She gives them what they want. It is as simple as that.

There is no secret recipe for success on Facebook. It takes time and hard work and frequent experimenting.

And remember the following. Customer loyalty is in direct proportion to your commitment to consistently deliver relevant content.