The secret of 'Like' Longevity

Posted on 17th Oct 2011 by Scott Goodson in Tips and Tricks

If you’re a brand on Facebook, how do you ensure you get fans to not only ‘like’ you, but keep on liking you?

Facebook is one of the biggest platforms on the internet today. In order to secure like longevity, you have to not only have to draw consumers to your Facebook page, you have to keep them coming back for more. It’s no good having consumers that ‘like’ you one day, and ‘unlike’ you the next.

And the way you do this is through simple engagement – also one of the crucial aspects of Cultural Movements.

A quick trawl of Facebook demonstrates that many of the biggest brands today, such as Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Pampers and Oreo, have truly embraced all that Facebook can achieve. Their pages are vibrant and exciting places, where fans can engage with their favourite brands through tailored content and interactive applications.

Frito-Lay recently showed how you can win fans and influence people on the back of a promotion. Its five-day live ‘Flavour Development Kitchen’ event in New York’s Times Square, demonstrating its use of natural flavours and inviting new recipe suggestions, initially drove fans of the snack to their Facebook page where the event was also streamed live.

Once there, fans could submit comments and questions for response from the Frito-Lay team about their favourite snack, and win kitchen appliances in a link-up with Electrolux. Frito-Lay also got ahead of the social game with a Farmville tie-in offering exclusive and unique Frito-Lay themed decor.

The result? A tasty 1.5 million new likes in just 24 hours – according to Guinness, a world record. And how did Frito-Lay ensure those likes stayed that way? Within days, as a thank-you, visitors to their Facebook page were offered a digital coupon for a free $4 bag of chips.

So what does this demonstrate? That you have to give stuff away to be popular on Facebook? No. Short-term ‘fan-gaiting’ won’t get you the long term, consumer relationships a brand needs.

It’s all about interaction and engagement. Get consumers to your page. Give them exciting content. Ask for their opinion. Let them engage with you. Respond back. And every now and then, thank them for their loyalty.

As Allison Kennedy, StrawberryFrog’s Social Media Strategist, explains: “While unique applications and custom content are key in driving growth and engagement, a good community manager really does the day-to-day heavy lifting in keeping those fans coming back and feeling that they are at home on this platform.

“It is important to get your audience - find out what they like outside of your brand, because chances are, their days don't revolve around a car, a shoe, or a snack item. Use community management to figure out the personalities of your fans and start to mold a digital culture that reflects their real-world interests and values.

“Every so often a community manager is fortunate enough to work with a brand he/she can genuinely connect with. That's when you'll see the establishment of a sincere relationship between a brand and their fans online.”