Stop! Why They’ll Unlike You If You Post That

There are a number of reasons why someone might unlike your brand on Facebook, but most of them are avoidable.

I recently came across an infographic on the Get Satisfaction blog that listed the top reasons why consumers unlike brands on Facebook and thought I’d provide some solutions for how to avoid dreaded unlikes. Here we go:

44% OF CONSUMERS UNLIKE BRANDS BECAUSE THEY POST TOO FREQUENTLY

SOLUTION: Don’t post so frequently! I’m kidding… kind of. I can speak from first-hand experience that some companies feel pressure to post on Facebook every day. Instead of adopting a ‘once per day’ approach to posting, only post when you have amazing, relevant content. Your fans will love you for your focus on creating great content and not cluttering their newsfeed with crap.

43% OF CONSUMERS UNLIKE BRANDS BECAUSE THEIR NEWSFEED WAS BECOMING TOO CROWDED WITH MARKETING POSTS, AND SOME NEEDED TO GO

SOLUTION: Same as above. Create great content that consumers will actively seek out and that plays a role in enhancing their lives, and your company’s posts will no longer be seen as ‘marketing posts’, rather they’ll be seen as helpful, interesting, educational, or entertaining content.

38% OF CONSUMERS UNLIKE BRANDS BECAUSE THEIR CONTENT BECAME REPETITIVE OR BORING OVER TIME

SOLUTION: Again, same as above. Seeing a pattern here? Only post when you’ve created fantastic content and your timeline won’t be viewed as boring or repetitive.

26% OF CONSUMERS ONLY LIKED A BRAND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A ONE-TIME OFFER

SOLUTION: This breaks the pattern, but raises an interesting point. Using offers, discounts, or promotions as a method of fan acquisition is a difficult strategy to sustain. When a consumer visits your Page because of an offer, and you don’t offer another in an acceptable timeframe, the standard that was set with their first interaction will be broken. To combat this, when you give things away – offers, discounts, promotional items – make sure it is done in such a way that it includes an element of brand-relevant sociability. You’ll be providing a stronger brand experience, increasing the opportunity for social amplification, and giving a better idea of what to expect from the brand when there isn’t an offer or give-away being provided.

24% OF CONSUMERS UNLIKE BRANDS BECAUSE THEY DON’T OFFER ENOUGH DEALS

SOLUTION: Same as above.

24% OF CONSUMERS UNLIKE BRANDS BECAUSE THEIR POSTS ARE TOO PROMOTIONAL

SOLUTION: Social media is rarely the place for a hard sell, and I could argue that consumer expectations overall are shifting toward not wanting to be sold to. Focus on posting content that adds value to your consumers and works toward creating a role for your brand, product or service in their lives.

19% OF CONSUMERS UNLIKE BRANDS BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THE COMPANY’S CONTENT WASN’T RELEVANT FROM THE START

SOLUTION: You can’t be everything to everyone, and because of this reality, your content isn’t going to appeal to everybody. That said, if your target demographic feels this way about your content, it will pay off to get to know your consumers better so you can tailor your content to be relevant to them. Try using some of the free tools that I listed in a previous post to learn a bit more about your consumers.

17% OF CONSUMERS UNLIKE BRANDS BECAUSE THEY FIND THEIR CONTENT TO BE TOO CHITY-CHATTY, AND NOT FOCUSED ON PROVIDING REAL VALUE

SOLUTION: There is nothing wrong with being conversational in your content, but if you’re not adding value to your consumers, they’ll lose interest quickly. It’s hard enough for people to stay connected and communicate with their family and friends; they don’t need a brand wasting their time with small talk. Refer back to the first few points in this post and create content that is truly compelling, and when you don’t have amazing content to share, don’t feel pressure to post something that isn’t valuable just so you can post something that day.

All of the stats in this post were transcribed from Get Satisfaction’s infographic that can be found here. I urge you to check it out and give them some love by sharing it if you find it to be valuable, interesting or educational.

Why do you unlike brands on Facebook?

How do you maintain consumer loyalty to your brand on Facebook?

Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @RGBSocial, it would be great to hear from you.

Photo Credit: Veer (Photoshopped)

Original Post