You may have heard that you can no longer incentivize page likes.
From now until November 5th, you can still require users to like your page to get some offer, get more virtual currency, or access special content.
Here are 5 reasons why you shouldn’t care:
1) The fan gate (or like gate) was for page tabs on desktop, anyway.
60% of Facebook’s traffic (and your Facebook traffic, too) is mobile.
It’s the mobile app companies that will suffer, not you, so consider who is complaining.
2) Tabs died two years ago.
Single digit percentages of fans ever visit your page’s timeline, since they see your content in their feed.
And only a fraction of those who go to the timeline will access a tab, unless you run ads.
3) Better to get customers to a mobile app install.
You get a lot more information and can develop a richer relationship.
Not a surprise that Facebook is investing heavily in mobile app tools for us and in the ad network supporting it (FAN).
4) If your business model was dependent upon artificial engagement, you better rethink your strategy.
The SEOs have relied on tricks, instead of delighting customers. The same mentality carries to Facebook.
Consider how you can offer real value to create real word of mouth, which is more honest and long-lasting.
5) User actions don’t count as much as they used to.
Newsfeed coverage used to be 22% a couple years ago and is down to a few percent now.
So counting on friends of fans to see these social endorsements (stories, as Facebook calls them) happens only with ads.
A share, check-in, offer claim, or comment is worth a lot more than a like. A share is 13 times as valuable as a like.
If your goal is to stimulate real, measurable sales via activation of your raving, best customers, you never needed to worry.
You’d still practice the 3 campaign funnel system, produce amazing content, and take good care of your customers.
Nothing has really changed, my friends.