You’re in 8th grade biology class and Mrs. Jones is droning on and on about osmosis. But the movement you are paying attention to isn’t that of water molecules, it’s the note that’s being passed from student to student in your direction. When the note finally reaches your desk, you open it with trembling hands.
“I like you.”
Those three little words send your heart thumping and a silly grin to your face, until Mrs. Jones snaps the note from your fingers and sends you to the principal’s office.
But it was totally worth it. Why? Because you like being liked.
Everyone likes being liked.
But just as that junior high crush will fade faster than you can say teenage acne, the number of “Likes” on your company Facebook page won’t always reflect a lasting relationship. Building a following on all of your social media assets is crucial, but it’s also not the only KPI you should be aware of.
To start thinking beyond the “Like,” keep in mind these three areas of focus:
1) Interactions of Value
Are your social media posts spurring valuable interactions with your followers? In order to create discussion, you want to make sure that your content is engaging and helpful to your target audience. You can have 20,000 Facebook fans and not reach a single one with half-hearted posts and dull status updates.
2) Sentiment
What is your online sentiment? What are people saying about you? How your audience is reacting to you online will influence the opinions of potential consumers that aren’t as aware of your brand. If your overall online sentiment is negative or non-existent, you will most likely chase away future followers.
3) Brand Evangelism
Don’t seek more followers until you’ve satisfied your current fan-base. You want each of those “Likes” you get to be a devoted evangelist, not just a passing admirer. Reward your followers with valuable information, original content, and offers or discounts. You will not only organically and naturally increase your number of fans, you will also increase your number of customers.
So while the excitement from that note may fade, be sure you don’t throw it away in pursuit of other admirers. Take care of each one you get and you will find yourself knee-deep in biology class notes… and a permanent desk in the principal’s office. But it’ll be totally worth it.