The Facebook follow button allows users to follow your public updates on Facebook without having to friend you or like your page. This can be useful for public figures, businesses, or other entities that want to build an audience on Facebook without requiring reciprocal friending. By default, the Facebook follow plugin shows options for users to like your page in addition to following you. However, it is possible to configure the plugin so that only the follow option is shown. Here are some quick answers on how to make your Facebook follow button follow-only:
– Go to the Facebook Developers website and generate a Follow plugin code. Make sure to select the “Layout Style” option as “Standard” and the “Show Faces” option as “No”. This will remove the profile icons from the plugin.
– Open the generated code and find the section with “data-show-faces=”false””. Change the false to true. This hides the like button from the plugin.
– The generated code may also contain a section with “data-action=”like””. You can delete this section entirely to prevent any liking ability.
– After customizing the code, paste it where you want the follow-only button to appear on your website or blog.
– Test that only the Follow button shows up when you view the page. The like option should now be hidden.
Why Have a Follow-Only Button?
Here are some common reasons why someone may want to have a follow-only Facebook button without the like option:
– To build an audience without requiring two-way friending. Following allows users to subscribe to your public updates without you having access to their personal profile information.
– To avoid confusing users into thinking they are liking a business or product page when you simply want them to follow a public figure or celebrity.
– To prevent clutter on your website or blog by having too many social media buttons. A single Follow button is more streamlined.
– If you already have a separate Facebook Page that you want people to Like. The follow button can be used to supplement that without redundancy.
– To emphasize that you are looking for followers rather than Likes which can seem disingenuous for public figures or organizations.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For those who want more detailed, step-by-step instructions on making a follow-only Facebook button, here is a walkthrough:
1. Go to https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/follow-button and click “Get Code” to access the plugin generator.
2. On the generator page, configure your preferences:
- – Set button size (small, medium, or large)
- – Enter Facebook Page URL you want people to follow
- – Select “Standard” for Layout Style
- – Select “No” for Show Faces
3. Leave other settings as default and click the “Get Code” button.
4. Copy the generated code and paste it into a text editor for customization.
5. Within the code, find the line containing: data-show-faces=”false”
6. Change false to true so the line becomes: data-show-faces=”true”
7. Find the line containing: data-action=”like” and completely delete this line.
8. Copy the modified code and paste it where you want the button on your website or blog.
9. Save changes and view the page to test the follow-only button.
10. Adjust any additional styling like size or color using CSS as needed.
Customizing the Button Appearance
If you want to customize the appearance of your follow-only Facebook button, there are a few options:
– Use CSS to change the button size, font, color, etc. Target the .fb-follow class in your CSS file.
– Display custom text instead of the default “Follow” label. Add the attribute data-button-text=”Your Text” to the embed code.
– Show a custom icon instead of the Facebook logo. Add the attribute data-icon=”Your Image URL” to the embed code.
– Utilize the different layout options like box_count and button_count when generating your code.
– Surround the button with your own HTML/CSS for advanced styling and placement.
Tracking Follows and Analytics
To track follows and analyze the performance of your Facebook follow button:
– Use the Facebook Pixel to monitor button clicks and optimize placement.
– View your Facebook Page Insights for data on new follows over time.
– Use UTM tracking parameters on the button code to track follows in Google Analytics.
– Use a social media management platform like Hootsuite to centralize monitoring.
– Conduct A/B testing with different button sizes and layouts.
– Monitor flow to your website from social traffic to correlate follows with engagement.
Driving More Follows
Here are some tips for driving more Facebook follows using your button:
– Experiment with different placements on your site like header, sidebar, blog posts, etc.
– Promote your Facebook presence across other channels – email, digital ads, social media cross-promotion.
– Run occasional contests or giveaways for people who follow you, to incentivize clicks.
– Refresh your content mix with new types of updates people will want to follow.
– Use Facebook ads targeting people who may be interested in your brand, product or content.
– Analyze follower demographics and interests to optimize content accordingly.
– Cross-promote your Facebook following on other social platforms.
Conclusion
Configuring a follow-only Facebook button takes just a few tweaks to the default embed code. By removing the like option, you can focus exclusively on building your follower audience on Facebook. Customize the appearance, track analytics, and promote your Facebook presence to maximize follows from your button placement. With a strategic approach, a simple follow button can become a core driver for expanding your reach on social media.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do you generate the Facebook Follow plugin code? | Go to developers.facebook.com and use the plugin generator, customizing the layout and faces options. |
| What code do you need to modify? | Change “data-show-faces” to true and delete the “data-action” like line. |
| Where should you place the follow button code? | Test different placements like header, sidebar, blog posts, landing pages, etc. |
| How can you customize the button appearance? | Use CSS, change the text label, add a custom icon, or control layout and HTML. |
| How do you track and analyze follows? | Use Facebook Insights, Facebook Pixel, Google Analytics, UTM parameters, and social media management platforms. |
| What are some ways to get more follows? | Promote across channels, run contests/giveaways, refresh content, use Facebook ads, analyze demographics, and cross-promote. |