The core of Social Media is not “eyeballs and ears” but rather “hearts and minds.” Go for quality, not quantity. – As tweeted by @NW_Mktg_Guy
I have read a few blog posts as of late that promote the thought of racing to certain thresholds of users on the various Social Media platforms, i.e. – 10k Facebook Likes. Despite FBs flip-flopping position on the 10k number as it relates to the Like page – I am baffled as to why that would be a strategic aim. Outside of understanding the would be advantages – if FB flops again – I would have to question the quality of such a forced end result. That is to suggest that if the number grows to 10k organically via rich experiences then hooray but if the number is achieved by coercion then – booray. Simply put – don’t race to 10k just because you can.
Quality vs. Quantity
Let me preface this section by saying that I’m the last person that should be writing a post taking sides on this subject. One could move right to my personal FB profile and question – why I friend everyone that comes across the recommendation page [it is not exactly everyone – only if there are multiple mutual connections between the networks]. The somewhat akward and funny answer is that I love defending myself from indefensible positions. That aside, the real answer is – despite the overlapping networks – I don’t know but I have been thinking about it for a couple of months now. I will admit that I am closer to deciding that quality is the better aim although I don’t have a premise for that position as of yet. And I would not suggest there is a right or a wrong answer.
All that being said, the tweet above really resonated with me concerning Like pages. If you take a strict interpretation of the word engagement – it really does boil down to the soft stuff. Like the quote suggest – heart’s and minds. In my head – that translates not to – Like your organization but rather Love your organization. I think there is a difference but that discussion is for another day.
What are your thoughts? Race for the thresholds despite quality – or, slowly grow to the threshold through remarkable experiences that people naturally invite their friends to be a part of? Or, do you have a completely alternate position on the subject?
Photo credit scs.ryerson.ca
0 Responses
It's not a race. To me it's more like golf. Think about it. Your shots are planned out, you have a goal in mind, it's strategic, and you want to play your best. There's a lot more going on than just sprinting forward. That's social media in general.
And even when you've completed 18 holes, you're not through. You're planning your next round and looking forward to playing again. While we want to be as efficient as possible with our game, it takes a plan to shoot par or better and not just swing away aimlessly.
Would you suggest as much if FB replaces the 10k threshold for Like Page perks? I'm curious in light of our finally moving forward with FB strategy at Mills –
Thank you for taking the time to add some value here – the gold analogy is a solid one.
I think there is still a strategy behind it all, but it's much deeper than just getting the fans. The page still needs a purpose. Also, I'm not a huge fan of dedicating a bunch of resources into a web platform that could disappear as quickly as you can say Myspace. It's important to be there (right now), but I'm not convinced it will be that way 2 or 3 years from now. I've burned enough budget dollars on misc social media initiatives over the last 2 years to say that it's important to understand not much is sustainable or won't constantly change and require more investment.
Completely agree with this, Mark. I think the best example of this right now is the custom landing tab on Facebook. Yes, they're incredibly helpful and can have a significant impact on your page's performance, but Facebook is regularly changing the rules, settings, layout, etc. There's no way I'd recommend spending a lot of money on a custom tab when I have no idea what FB will require in three months. I'd much rather invest those dollars on my own site or strategies that get people talking about my brand.
Apartment Marketing: Facebook Like Page – Race to 10k – Good or Bad Idea?: The core of Social Media is not “eyebal… http://bit.ly/bFNXmF
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
MBrewer Group Post: Apartment Marketing: Facebook Like Page – Race to 10k – Good or Bad Idea? http://bit.ly/cMHnmR
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
RE: @mbrewer It’s not a race. To me it’s more like golf. Think about it. Your shots are planned out, you have a goa… http://disq.us/e3n1s
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Mike, the 10K number is completely arbitrary based on the extra Insights and other features that Facebook provides to page admins with that many subscribers. It may or may not be a number that matters to you, depending on who you're trying to reach.
When Facebook first launched custom usernames for Pages, the threshold was 1,000 fans. Then they dropped it down to 100, and now only 25 fans are required before page admins can claim their username. They may end up doing the same for Page Insights, so keep that in mind. The goal isn't to accumulate fans … it's to use platforms like Facebook to connect with your audience and spread your message.
Apartment Marketing: Facebook Like Page – Race to 10k – Good or Bad Idea? http://bit.ly/b43Edl
This comment was originally posted on Twitter