My brand is “liked” on Facebook. So what?

Recently, Facebook changed how users connect with its pages.  The “become a fan” option was replaced with “like”.  Same user-privileges apply though; the only difference is that your page will no longer show the number of “fans” you have.  It will show the number of “likes”.  In the marketing community, this has been the cause of much debate as some argue that being a “fan”, by definition, implies a deeper engagement with the brand while “like” could be considered non-committal to a large extent.  Think of it in music terms – how differently do you behave towards an artist you “like” vs. one you’re a “fan” of?  But this is a discussion for another time.  Whether we agree with it or not, Facebook has made the switch, and “like” it is.

Starbucks is the most liked brand on Facebook with over 12.7 million “likes” while there are brands with less than 100 “likes”.  So, what do these numbers really mean?  At best, these “like” numbers serve as a barometer of your brand’s popularity among Facebook users. I’m being too harsh, you say?  Well, let’s do the test (and answer honestly).  How many times have you become a “fan” or “liked” a page/brand and never returned to it…ever?  I’m sure there’s more than a few of you who fall into this category.  Digital cameras have allowed for us to go picture-happy.  Facebook has allowed us to go “like”-happy.

“Liking” something on Facebook requires no commitment – surely not a financial one.  In most cases, the connection between user and brand is feeble; engagement level is low – a connection barely made.  Wouldn’t you just love to see a correlation between “likes” and actual sales?  I would! 

I’m not bashing Facebook.  In today’s marketing landscape, Facebook is an important part of the overall marketing mix.  I’m just having a difficult time accepting a “like” as a measure of success or meaningful brand engagement for that matter.  Unless a specific “like” number was set as an objective/goal, “like” carries no weight for me.  At the end of the day, it’s just a number – high / low.  Oh, and let’s not forget that a user cannot “dislike” a page, so the user is forced to “like” it in order to engage in communications regarding that brand.  How are you liking those “likes” now?

To me, the most valuable measure is the actual exchange of ideas within a brand’s page.  Is the sentiment overwhelmingly positive or negative?  How engaging is the exchange?  As the brand in question, can I offer something meaningful to the conversation?  Can I drive traffic to my e-commerce site?  How can I turn that exchange of ideas into sales – that’s my ultimate goal, no?  That’s something I can definitely “like”.