Followers... They Just Don't Matter
It’s a conundrum as old as the Facebook Page itself. What is a like worth?
Not much at all.
The case against the value of likes and followers has been building momentum for some time, and that case hit a crescendo a couple years ago when brands made the less-than-wise decision of purchasing fake likes and followers. Now, thanks to new research from the likes of Harvard, Tulane, University of Mainz and the Freeman School of Business, it’s safe to say that follower number next to your brand’s log just doesn’t matter.
What Came First? The Like or the Purchase.
Likes and follows don’t lead to action. Instead, they’re a signal from consumers who do take action. In other words, people who like or follow a brand don’t spend more because they liked or followed the brand. Following doesn’t illicit positive feelings. Positive feelings illicit the follow. They like the brand because they are already loyal customers.
Followers and fans don’t equal sales. Those people who like and follow don’t see brand content in the first place, thanks to feed algorithms across social channels. In reality, collecting those likes and follows is just as valuable as not collecting them. That doesn’t mean they aren’t helpful. After all, they’re a signal from loyal customers that says they love your brand, but they aren’t going to affect the business because they clicked like.
So What’s the Point?
Likes and follows represent an opportunity to gather intelligence about the people who love your brand the most. They can provide ideas, submit feedback and elicit other valuable insights that the brand can leverage.
Brands can test out content ideas with these audiences with small social ad buys. After seeing what works with advocates, adjustments can be made before doing what ultimately moves the business forward, advertising.
Social channels are now media channels. It’s pay-to-play, and it’s pay-to-get-results. Brands have to advertise outside of their followers with high-impact creative that builds awareness and ultimately drives purchase intent, and they’re likes and followers can help with that. They can be viewed as a testing ground of sorts to try out creative ideas before they’re ready for primetime. They’re a means to an end, and brands don’t need a huge following use them like that.
Likes and follows don’t matter. They really never have. If marketers accept that, they can leverage the likes and followers they do have in a way that does help the business.