How Many Facebook Fans Does Your Page Have?

If I asked you how well your Facebook business page is doing, how would you measure it? I'd like to hazard a guess that it might just involve the number of likes on your page? But just how important is this? For many, success on social media is benchmarked in terms of numbers of followers or likes. We chase bigger and better numbers, and ask for people to help us get to that next milestone: 100 likes; 500 followers; the first 1000!

Shock! My Facebook Likes Went Down!

When I checked my Facebook Insights the other day, I noticed I'd lost a few likes. My numbers had gone down! I did a bit more digging, and found that the unlikes had originated from the same post – a short, headshot video of me giving a helpful tip. More horror! Did that mean people didn't like me? Was it the Scottish accent? Or lack of carefully applied make-up and coiffured hair?  Cue a bit of soul searching and angst! What if more people unliked me? Would a new hair-do help?

Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

But the stark reality is that it really doesn't matter. When we lose followers or fans, it's all too easy to break out in a sweat, and perhaps even take it personally. We lose focus on what's really important: the quality of the people who do follow us; making sure that we seek out and attract our ideal customer; and that we create meaningful relationships with our online communities, and engage with them with integrity. The people who unliked my page had their own reasons for doing so. And they have inadvertently helped my Facebook page. With the newsfeed algorithm measuring how often people engage with your posts, and ranking which posts Facebook serves to newsfeeds in order of likely interest to your audience, your success depends on constant engagement with your fans. So, better to lose those who are not interested, than have them lurk silently on your page. It is the same with any of the social networks. Rather than focus on the numbers, focus on building your accounts with people who will support you, and who fit your ideal customer profile most closely. Better to have 100 engaged, loyal followers, than 12,000 who have no real interest in you or your business. What are your views on quality over quantity? Do the numbers matter? Or just the quality of your online community? I can't wait to hear from you.