Stop worrying about how many people Like your page
Facebook sent me an anniversary message the other day congratulating me on being on the social network for 12 years.
2004! It feels like a lifetime ago.
A lot has changed on Facebook in 12 years. I got to thinking about how many pages I have Liked since then, so I checked it out. The one thing that stood out? The amount of pages I technically Like on Facebook doesn’t equal the ones I interact with or care about the most today. Yet Facebook still counts my Like as equal as anyone else’s.
Everybody wants to be liked. In social, platforms have been built around liking something, be it a post, a page or a photo.
When talking to social media managers, I often hear them clamor for more page likes. If they have 500 total likes, they want 1,000. If they have 1,000, they want 1,500. But the almighty page like is blurring the lines between brand awareness and actual social success.
Let’s say you’re a business owner — you own your own clothing boutique. At your grand opening, your store is filled with people. The next day, less people are there than the day before, but it’s still a good turnout. Each day after the opening, your store has people walking about it, and naturally you’re happy. Except I started this example saying you’re a business owner, and if you’re a business owner, at the end of the day, what do you care about the most?
Selling shit.
If no one is buying anything — if no one is engaging with your product — you’re not going to be in business for long.
I equate page likes to people walking around a store but not buying anything. They’re in the room, but they’re not connecting with your product. You want them to connect with whatever it is you’re selling and make that purchase.
In social, the only way to complete that transaction is to give people something they can’t avoid. Something that provides them tremendous value. Something they can sink their teeth into.
That something is high-quality content.
What people do with your content — Like, Comment, Share, Retweet, Pin, Post, Recommend, Buy— that is your ultimate definition of success. Stop focusing on how many total Likes your page or account has, and focus more on delivering quality, valuable content to your audience. If you are providing them with that, you’ll hook them.
What does valuable content look like?
This ultimately depends on how well you know your audience — and what you’re trying to tell them.
Gary Vaynerchuk lives by the Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook theory, which, in other words, means, give, give give, ask.
In education, the biggest ask for most school districts is budget approval. So if that is your ultimate goal, your social communication around that topic should be built with jabs about the good that is coming from the investments your district is making in its program.
Maybe your district is making an investment in instructional technology. Instead of saying as much, story tell about what kids are doing now with technology. Find a story about a student who wants to become an engineer and bring his or her story to life. You don’t have to bludgeon people over the head with a budget plea, but you can certainly jab at them with stories that stir up emotions that make them want to Like, Comment or Share your content, and ultimately support your district’s budget.
Look, I understand that you want Likes, because it’s a round number that you can point to in order to show success or growth. But unless your customer is engaging or buying your content, your page Like is largely worthless. And content without context is meaningless. The best content is content that unifies and makes people feel like they’re a part of a bigger picture.
If you only have 100 Likes on your page, don’t worry about it. Provide the best and most meaningful content you can to those 100 people. Give them a reason to Like, Comment and Share your stuff. Value turns into attention.
So go out and inspire people with your content. Make them laugh, think — make them feel something. The return you’ll get will be so worth it.
