Facebook Likes May Not Be as Important as You Think: Compelling Statistics on Drops in Organic Facebook Post Reach
Facebook likes might not be as important as many small business owners would like to think. The number of likes on a branded Facebook page does not necessarily translate into returns. Many individuals new to local social media marketing can easily get sidetracked by a few thousand likes in a few days. However, almost no local business can drive returns by getting more likes on Facebook. Marketing on Facebook is just that, marketing.
Are you really improving brand visibility on Facebook with the number of likes? Some services with high customer support may be able to effectively leverage likes as an integral part of a larger social media marketing strategy. However, recent research suggests that the key to Facebook success may be fewer users who are loyal rather than an oversaturated and largely disengaged base of followers.
Trends in Facebook User Engagement
TechCruch recently published statistics that suggest the average Facebook page currently has an organic reach of 6.51 % per fan, an organic fan per fan reach of 6.46 %, and an organic viral reach of 0.99 %. In September 2013, organic reach per fan was 12.60 %. In February 2012, organic reach per fan was 16.00 %. Needless to say, there is a notable trend. Organic reach on Facebook is dropping, and has been dropping for a substantial amount of time.
A recent study published by Valleywag suggests that Facebook organic page reach will continue to drop, and will eventually reach 1 or 2%. Some brands have abandoned Facebook marketing efforts all together whereas other brands have found continued success on Facebook.
Facebook Marketing Success in 2014
Some successful brands have adopted Facebook marketing strategies that encourage shares and user engagement. Encouraging shares and dialogue can be conceptualized as putting a strong social element in social media marketing on Facebook. Clicking a like button is not what social engagement is about per se. Instead, social engagement is characterized by continual sharing of thoughts and opinions in a broader community. Brands can still leverage success on Facebook by focusing on engaging marketing strategies rather than easy ways to get more likes. Surefire Social created a Facebook Handbook to help guide small business owners and enterprise marketers.
Promoted Posts Offer Necessary Visibility on Facebook
The Facebook user base has arguably become too expansive. Connect with an interested audience with prompted posts and quality social media marketing strategies. Surefire Social has a proven method to help businesses gain online visibility that drives return on investment. Likes do not come with a dollar amount. However, the right marketing strategy on Facebook for the right brand can still be highly effective.
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