Anyone managing a brand Page on Facebook can agree that developing and cultivating a “fan following” is no easy task! Facebook users, as a whole, are reluctant to LIKE a brand—unless they are convinced the Page’s content will provide value. In fact, a recent study found that 40 percent of Facebook users LIKE a Page to keep up with discounts and sales, and 36 percent of users LIKE pages in exchange for a free offer. Only 34 percent of users LIKE a Page to follow the company’s activities.
So, no, winning true Fans and “brand advocates” is not easy, and in order to appear more established, many public figures and brands purchase Facebook Fans/LIKES. If you conduct a Google search, you’ll find a long list of websites promising active, real Facebook Fans for a reasonable price.
However, is this seemingly easy tactic worth it?
NO! No social media professional would ever suggest that you “pay for LIKES.” LIKES are just numbers, and there are several ways purchased Fans can come back to bite you:
• Your Page could be banned.
If Facebook learns you have purchased fake Fans (and this isn’t difficult—most paid LIKE services provide ‘Fans’ using the same ip address), there’s a good chance your company Page will be banned from the social media site.
• You will be wasting money on promotions.
If you take your Facebook marketing seriously, you will likely Promote certain posts to increase their reach. However, if you target your existing Fans (that are mostly fake accounts), your budget will be wasted.
• You will likely lose brand integrity.
Most would agree that buying Fans is an immoral tactic, and if your Page’s Fans increase from 70 to 10,070 within a day or two, it will look seriously suspicious.
• Fraudulent Friends will never become customers.
If you are using Facebook to ultimately generate more sales for your business, you will be wasting your time trying to engage with ‘Fans’ who have no interest in your products or services.
So, what is the takeaway here? Well, apart from it being unethical to pay for LIKES and possibly having your account deleted as a consequence, the “number” of Fans you have on your Page isn’t what is important. As the manager of a brand’s Facebook Page, it should be your goal to build a community of individuals who are truly interested in your company’s products, services and activity. Only then will you reap the benefits and see an ROI!
Sources: http://blog.wishpond.com/post/74283886668/should-you-buy-facebook-likes, http://dazeinfo.com/2014/10/21/buying-facebook-likes-bad-business-move/
