If you hang around any of the business groups on Facebook, you’ll probably see Like Ladders pop up now and again. If you comment on the post with a link to your page, and Like the page of everyone who has commented before you, they will all Like your page.
It’s just like any chain letter or pyramid scheme, both in the way it works and how it doesn’t help you. It’s almost as harmful as buying fans.
First of all, we need to accept that this sad fact:
The number of Likes on your Facebook page is not important.
Likes are vanity – engagement is sanity.
But if everyone Likes my page, they will see my business updates and make me money!
Remember why these people are Liking your page. It’s not to help you, it’s not because they like the look of your product or service. It’s because they want you to Like them. They won’t read or engage with your posts, they will just ignore them.
Because there is a limit to how many Facebook posts someone can read, they will only show people the things most likely to interest them. It will work out what’s happened and not show they your updates.
Ok, it may not help, but it cannot hurt… can it?
Sorry, but too many of the wrong kind of Likes is actually bad for your Page.
Another way Facebook decides if it should show your posts to someone is the “engagement” of your fans.
If every time you post an update a reasonable percentage of your fans click on, Like, share or comment on your post, Facebook knows that your page is relevant and interesting. This makes it more likely to put your posts into your fans’ feeds.
If you increase your fans with people who are not interested, your percentage of interested fans will drop. That will make Facebook think that your fans are not interested in your content so it will reduce the number of your posts it shares.
So why do people do it?
Everyone loves a get-rich-quick scheme.
Also, if you start a Like Ladder and put a link in the original post, then lots of people will see that in their timelines because of the huge amount of engagement your post gets.
But even then, Facebook are starting to work against you. As of this week they will be reducing the reach of posts that are blatant requests to Like or Share.
How to grow your Facebook Page’s reach
There are two ways:
- Post useful and interesting content that your customers and fans will want to read, comment on and share.
- Paid advertising
Sorry, no shortcuts!