There are exactly three ways to do most anything. The right way, the wrong way, and something in between which is neither the right or wrong way and yet still gets it done. The folks who sell Facebook Likes on sites like Fiverr would have you believe the latter; that they are harmless wholesalers looking to give you Facebook Likes for your page in a manner that is “out of the box thinking”, when in reality they’re doing it the wrong way. Buying Facebook Likes, we cannot stress enough, is NOT the way to do this.
I’ll explain more in detail – as well as offer you winning tips to get ahead.
Get Connected!
If you have a site that is not connected to social media, that is where to start. It’s as easy as sticking a Facebook Widget on your page where people can Like your page from there. WordPress sites have a plugin that will give you the widget, but if you don’t have a WordPress site, then you can go to Facebook’s Badges and pick the Like badge to grab the HTML for your page.
Dont Buy Likes
Do also keep in mind that getting Facebook Likes cannot happen overnight – and shouldn’t even if you COULD get real people to like the page. The Likes that you can buy come from people living in foreign countries, often who do not speak your language, and will never buy from you or visit your actual site. They won’t comment or help build your engagements on your page, and are empty for all intents and purposes. What is worse is seeing a page which does have thousands of Likes, and no activity to support them. What is absolutely worst of all about buying them however, is the fact that you will in all likelihood be caught for it, and penalized by Facebook. That means no page, a ban entirely, or whatever else they feel like punishing you with. You want organic, real Likes, from real people who like what you’re doing, what you are selling, what you are saying/representing, and who will be loyal followers of your page and business interests.
Posting Problems
If you’ve created a great website and a social media presence but you’re still not gaining Likes or new followers, it might be because your updates are spaced too far apart, absent entirely, or just plain boring. People want information, tips, savings, answers, and deals, and they like when someone can be counted on to always deliver that kind of thing. If your updates are the same sort of posts, or the same kind of content, they’ll grow bored and leave. Remember that in today’s highly technological world, it’s far harder to be that special snowflake, when others are offering the same thing or similar enough that people would switch. The best way to increase update success is to gauge your engagement with your page visitors. Post things like photos with snappy headlines, videos which are short and meaningful, and post questions to your audience – get them talking to each other and to you, and then… answer them! That brings up the next point.
Engagement Matters
Engagement, which is a word you’ve heard a lot of here, is the relationship between the client and the business as it pertains to an online presence. It measures how long someone sits on the page reading, what they’re clicking on, where they pay most attention and at what point that attention is lost. There are analytical tools out which can help with that, but just reading the analytics on social media for your page should be plenty. Engagement is the feeling that you’re human just like the people you want to notice you. It’s a warmth and relationship where the other party knows you’ll take care of them and answer their questions, it builds trust and loyalty. When you make a post, and someone answers that post, be sure to respond directly to that person. It shows a strong human element in a world seemingly dominated by computer screens and mechanized voices.
Find. Create. Save. Measure.
Your social media campaigns from a FREE TO USE dashboard OR
Let us save you time by creating content and posting to your social profiles for you
Contests and Giveaways
Contests are a great way to increase engagement also, and you can ask people to share, Like and comment on one of your posts to win. The more people network these contests to friends, family and others who see their post – the larger your reach will be. Plus, who doesn’t love a contest and opportunity to get something totally free? The key is getting them active on your page, which means you’ll need to be posting fun stuff too, like asking people for their impressions of words using pictures; for instance if you’re running a paint store and you want to get people having fun on your page, ask them to post a photo they feel is most strongly associated with the color “russet red” for instance, which may be a paint color by the brand you carry. Anything like contests, giveaways, or online only coupons they can print out will get people active on your page.
Know the Right People (or at least look like you do)
Influential people can make a big difference as well. To use the previous example of the paint company, if you were wanting to expand your reach for people looking for interior paint, or design ideas, you might connect yourself using friend requests, or just following interior designers in your area, or other people who are professionals, well-respected, and well-known. Those connections may work both ways and they may choose to follow you as well. These connections can help you to post relevant and exciting news for your clients and followers, and also show you are well connected.
Perfect Timing
Timing is critical for gaining Facebook likes and followers. Recall that people around the world are awake at totally different times, and at any given time someone’s not only awake, but pushing their marketing strategy even when you might be asleep. Competition never stops because time never stops. Know your audience, and cater to that audience. If the people you’re marketing to only wake up and start their days at 9am, then posting at 6am will miss them by a large margin. Try to reach your audience at a few key points in time. 1. Before they go to work, 2. At lunchtime and, 3. After they’ve come home and after suppertime. These are the best times to post because your audience will most likely be in front of their computer at these times. Where timing is concerned, you also want to remember to post updates throughout the day, so that people who are commuting, or are between things at work may see your posts as well, or at least see that action has been going on in the meantime.
Facebook Ads
Last but not least, DO use those Facebook Ads. They’re more than just a flashy thing Facebook is trying to promote. Consider the fact that you know about Facebook Ads. You know about them because you see them often enough, and that is the kind of exposure you want people to get when they think of your brand. They know it because they see it all the time. If you’re going to be on Facebook anyway, and you want your social media presence to shine and gain all those new Likes and followers, then you definitely need to let people know you’re alive. Ad campaigns don’t have to cost a fortune either, they are very customisable depending on your budget, and what kind of reach you’re looking to get. Remember that organically grown likes of this nature, are more likely to stick around and be those people who actually buy from you and become loyal followers.
