Facebook has evolved a lot over the years when it comes to how users interact with business pages. Back when Facebook first introduced business pages, the primary way for users to connect with a page was by “liking” it. This allowed users to follow updates from those pages in their News Feed. However, as Facebook has grown, so have business pages and the ways users can interact with them.
The Shift from Likes to Followers
In 2019, Facebook began rolling out an update that removed the number of page likes from being publicly visible, and instead replaced it with the number of page followers. This change was made for a few key reasons:
- To emphasize the importance of connections and community over vanity metrics like number of likes
- To encourage more meaningful interactions between pages and their audience
- To align more closely with Instagram, which uses followers rather than likes
While page likes are still very much a part of Facebook, the number is now only visible to page admins rather than publicly displayed. So when users now “like” a Facebook page, they automatically become a follower as well. This forces page admins to focus more on building relationships and creating engaging content rather than chasing arbitrary milestones like 1,000 or 1 million likes.
Differences Between Likes and Followers
While likes and followers go hand-in-hand now, there are some key differences between the two:
- Liking a page shows support for that business/organization and subscribes you to their updates
- Following a page does the same, but is an active choice to connect versus a one-time like action
- Followers can also take additional actions like enabling notifications or RSVPing to events
- Pages can segment and target communications to different follower groups
So in summary:
| Likes | Followers |
|---|---|
| One-time action to like a page | Ongoing connection as a follower |
| Total # not publicly displayed | Total # publicly displayed |
| No additional options | Can customize notifications, RSVP to events, etc. |
While liking a page shows support, actively following opens up more ways to engage with that business or organization. Facebook is clearly pushing more towards cultivating this type of active community.
Why Followers Matter for Businesses
For business owners and marketers, the shift to followers presents some clear benefits:
- Followers can be retargeted for ads and promotions
- More customization options to connect with specific follower groups
- Ability to identify your most engaged followers
- Metrics like follower growth can still be tracked privately
As likes become private, gaining more relevant, engaged followers should be the priority. Some best practices include:
- Posting valuable and engaging content consistently
- Using hashtags and tagging others to extend reach
- Leveraging ads to promote your page and posts
- Asking current followers to invite their friends to like your page
- Running giveaways and contests to incentivize follows
Tips for Growing Your Business’ Followers
Here are some additional tips for business owners to grow their Facebook followers:
Optimize Your Facebook Page
Make sure you have completely filled out your page’s profile – include industry categories, a detailed description, contact info, hours, location, and high-quality photos. This gives people more context about your business.
Drive Follows from Other Channels
Promote your Facebook page on your website, other social channels, email newsletters, packaging, and anywhere else you engage with customers. Make it easy for people to find and follow.
Engage Followers with Content
Post regularly with content tailored to your audience – videos, photos, links, questions, events, etc. Respond to comments and messages. Ask followers questions to spark two-way engagement.
Run Targeted Advertising
Use Facebook ads to get your page and posts in front of defined demographics that are more likely to follow. Retarget people who have already engaged with your website or brand.
Analyze Performance
Use Facebook Insights to see when your followers are most active and what types of content resonates best. Iterate based on what performs well.
Encourage Sharing
Add social sharing buttons to your page and posts. Ask satisfied customers to share your page with friends. This can expand your reach further.
Interact with Similar Pages
Engage with pages similar to yours by commenting, sharing, etc. Some of their followers may also be interested in your business.
Growing an audience of relevant followers takes consistency and engagement. But it’s worth the effort to cultivate a community that brings value to your business!
Should You Still Care About Likes?
While likes are now hidden, they can still provide some value for Facebook page admins:
- Give an indication of how many have showed support
- Help increase visibility of posts in followers’ News Feeds
- Contribute to Facebook’s algorithm for pages
So likes do still matter when it comes to reach and engagement on your posts. But followers are now the key metric for showing the size of your audience.
Some best practices for getting more likes include:
- Running photo/video contests that ask people to like the post to vote or enter
- Sharing compelling content that people naturally want to like
- Promoting posts via ads to target broader audiences
- Asking satisfied customers to go like your page and recent posts
Other Metrics to Track
While number of followers is front and center, here are some other metrics that provide valuable insights into your Facebook page’s performance:
- Reach: how many unique users saw your posts
- Engagement Rate: percentage of people who interacted with your content
- Clicks: interactions with links, ads, events, etc.
- Conversions: desired actions from posts like purchases or sign-ups
- Sentiment: feedback and reactions to your brand
Analyzing these types of metrics can help you refine your content strategy and more deeply engage your growing community of followers.
Should You Delete Likes on Your Personal Profile?
Facebook provides the option for users to hide public like counts on their personal profiles as well. This can help reduce social pressure and comparison. The pros and cons of doing this include:
Pros
- Allows you to use Facebook more authentically without trying to seek validation
- Reduces competitiveness of who has the most likes
- Lets you focus on sharing what you want vs. what gets engagement
- Makes your feed about content rather than popularity metrics
Cons
- Makes it harder to tell what posts are resonating better
- Removes the social signals that likes provide
- Could reduce overall engagement if others can’t see reactions
There are good arguments on both sides. Ultimately it comes down to your personal preference and philosophy on social media. Do what feels right for your own well-being and goals.
Conclusion
Facebook’s shift from likes to followers for business pages reflects their push towards more authentic community-building and engagement. As a page admin, focusing on providing value through content and interacting meaningfully with your followers is now clearly the priority.
While likes are still relevant, the number of followers you have represents your overall audience size. Tracking other metrics like engagement and reach paints a broader picture of how people are connecting with your page. Use these insights to craft content strategy and create a vibrant follower community.