Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of Q4 2021. Brands and companies often encourage people to “like” or “follow” their Facebook pages in order to build an audience and increase engagement.
Why do brands want you to like their Facebook page?
There are several key reasons why brands want you to like or follow their Facebook pages:
- Grow their audience – Every new like represents a potential customer or fan who will see future content.
- Reach more people – Content from pages you like may show up in your News Feed, helping brands reach more users.
- Build relationships – Liking a page makes it easier for brands to engage with customers and build ongoing relationships.
- Get insights – Pages can view analytics on their followers, including demographics and interests, to better understand their audience.
- Increase visibility – More likes makes a page seem more popular and helps content show up higher in algorithmic News Feeds.
- Drive traffic – Links posted on Facebook can drive traffic back to a brand’s website or store.
- Promote sales – Special offers and new product releases posted on Facebook can drive direct sales.
In short, every new page like helps brands grow their audience, get better consumer insights, and ultimately boost engagement and sales.
What happens when you like a Facebook page?
When you like a Facebook page, a few key things happen:
- You become a fan – You are listed as a fan of that page and added to its overall like count.
- You may see updates – Posts from that page could show up in your News Feed so you can see updates from the brand.
- The page gets your public info – They will have access to info you set as public, like profile photo and general location.
- You can interact more easily – Liking a page makes it simpler to comment, share, react, and engage with future content.
- Targeted advertising – Brands can use page likes for more targeted Facebook ads, both on and off the platform.
However, liking a page does not give full access to your profile or personal data. You can control the content you see from pages you like in your News Feed preferences. Overall, liking just makes you a fan of that brand and opens up ongoing engagement opportunities.
How do page likes impact brands?
More page likes have several concrete benefits for brands and businesses on Facebook:
- Increased visibility – Pages with more likes appear higher in search results and News Feed positioning.
- Social validation – A high like count signals a popular, reputable brand that others engage with.
- Expanded reach – Brand posts can reach the News Feeds of all fans who have liked that page.
- Engagement boost – Fans are more likely to react, comment, share and otherwise engage with posts from pages they like.
- Audience insights – Detailed analytics help brands understand their fan demographics and interests.
- Lead generation – Special offers exclusive to page fans can help generate new leads and sales.
Essentially, more likes enable brands to expand their audience reach and understand their fans better in order to improve engagement and drive conversions. Even a small increase in likes can make a notable difference for businesses.
Tips for businesses to get more Facebook page likes
Here are some proven tips businesses can use to get more Facebook page likes:
- Post engaging content consistently – Useful, entertaining content updated often encourages likes.
- Run Facebook ads – Paid promotions and boosted posts help specifically target people likely to like your page.
- Add a strong call-to-action – Tell site visitors exactly how and why they should like your page to drive clicks.
- Cross-promote on all channels – Mention your Facebook in emails, websites, other social posts, etc.
- Offer discounts or exclusives – Special deals just for new page likes can incentivize clicks.
- Make the button visible – The Facebook Page Plugin ensures the Like button shows prominently on your site.
- Analyze competitors – See what works for leading brands in your industry to get more likes.
Combining organic and paid strategies makes it easier for any business to increase their Facebook page likes and audience over time.
Benefits of liking a brand’s Facebook page for consumers
Consumers who like or follow brand pages can enjoy perks like:
- Access to exclusive deals and offers just for fans.
- Early access to new products, sales, or events.
- Chance to win Facebook-only contests and giveaways.
- Behind-the-scenes content not available elsewhere.
- Discounts and promotions not available to the general public.
- Input and influence on products or services.
- Entertaining or useful content in your News Feed.
Beyond special incentives, liking a brand page also makes you part of a community with fellow fans. Overall, customers can get exclusive perks, special access, and more content from brands they like on Facebook.
Risks of liking pages
While there are benefits, some potential risks of liking brand pages include:
- Oversaturation – Too many likes may clutter your News Feed with unwanted promotional posts.
- Data gathering – Brands can gather info and analytics on their page fans and target ads.
- Security issues – Scam pages may try to gain likes for malicious purposes.
- Reputational problems – Public page likes are visible and may be controversial.
- Privacy concerns – Fans’ profiles and data can be exposed if pages are hacked.
To minimize risks, consumers should be selective about which pages they engage with, customize News Feed preferences, use privacy settings, and be wary of sketchy pages.
Conclusion
Liking or following a brand’s Facebook page can benefit both businesses and consumers when done thoughtfully. For brands, more likes mean greater visibility, insights, and engagement with their target audience. Consumers get perks like exclusive deals and a direct line to brands they care about. But over saturation of promotional content or privacy risks can make some weary of indiscriminately liking pages. Overall, mutual understanding of benefits and smart practices help make page likes valuable for brands and consumers alike on the world’s largest social network.