As you already know, Facebook announced that they will eliminate like gating for Facebook Pages starting November 5th. You can read the announcement here: Facebook policy change .
But what is Fan Gating?
Fan Gating, also known as Like Gating, is the method used by many brands to ask people to like their Page in exchange for exclusive content, special deals or redeem codes. Page Likes are used by many businesses as virtual currency, meaning that the change announced by Facebook last week will probably affect many brands. Brands that will need to re-think their strategy for gaining followers on Facebook.
You might think this is a bad news for you, especially if you rely on this method to grow your audience, but this is actually a good thing for you and for your customers.
Here are 5 reasons to back up our affirmation:
1. More engaging and shareable content
You will be more focused on creating engaging and shareable content that encourages likes and not requires them. The quality of your content will grow, implicitly the quality of your Page. In the eyes of your followers you will be an authority in your niche, you will build trust. Trust equals more customers, thus more success for your business.
Don’t be afraid that you lost the possibility to require the likes for exclusive content. If your content is already great, it will be even more appreciated when it is open to a larger audience. And if your content is not that great then, by raising the stakes you will not only improve your business but you will reach even higher levels of success.
2. Focus on quality followers
Your true fans (and those who are more likely to convert to paying customers) will still share and like your Page. To grow your business you need more true fans that are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.
To know that people like and share your posts without incentives, it’s actually rewarding. It’s a confirmation that your efforts are appreciated. You will have the great feeling that your work means something and help people with their quests. This level of trust will actually bring you more customers and help you grow your business.
3. Trust your metrics
You will have real metrics to count on to help you improve your business. You can trust the engagement rates for your content, because there are not “forced”likes, only true and sincere appreciation of your efforts. You will be able to measure different responses for your content and know which works best and adjust your strategy accordingly.
4. Build a sustainable business for the long run
You will build an audience for the long-term. People will like your page because of what you have to offer. They are interested in your products or services. Your carefully selected and appealing material will convert your followers into customers. Your great products will convert them into loyal customers. Can you guess where I’m going with this? That’s right, good marketing means business success and growth.
5. Focus on growing a relevant audience and a mature business
Your business will mature enough to get pass goals like “getting more likes”. Your strategy will evolve and your focus will be to grow a relevant audience. You will learn to determine your target market, to learn what motivates them, what are their interests and how can you help improve their life. Your business will grow as well, your products will improve. Your customers will be happier, making this a win-win situation.
Final words
You need to remember that your success on Facebook cannot be measured in likes. Your Pages’ engagement is an important metric that you should not overlook, but you need to make a genuine impact. Fan Gating is a short-term strategy. Your customer loyalty is more important and requires more effort and involvement from your part.
Facebook is just one of the social media channels that you need to use to ensure that you can stay connected with your customers. You need to have a consistent activity in all the social networks that are meaningful for your niche. This means including automation in your strategy could be a good idea, to have more time to focus on creating quality content.
