If you are managing a business
Facebook Page, you definitely know that the fastest way to get ‘Likes’ is by buying Page Like ads. That by far is the fastest way to grow your page and gather your fans when you are starting out. But if you are a small business owner, you know that you cannot be spending money indefinitely just for ‘Likes’.
What if we told you that you can get ‘Likes’ for
free? And without spending any money on advertisements?
It is possible, but you need to reign in your expectations and come up with a strategy that works best for you. It’s a long-term game that requires constant engagement, and you may not see quick results from your efforts, but it is highly possible.
Firstly, you need to understand that most of the work required to grow your Facebook page includes regular research, content curation and content creation. There is no shortcut to success. You need to balance your content that appeals to your target market, that is useful to them. Too often, page owners tend to be too sales oriented and that drives your audience away. You need to think long-term and for that to happen, you need to make the connection first. You have to convert them to be your warm audience and better still, the advocate of your brand.
So, how can you get Facebook fans without paying for ads? Here are some strategies you can adopt for your business today.
Engagement is Everything
We all know that engagement is the ‘holy grail’ that every page is looking for but what exactly is engagement? Think of it this way, if you fans love you posts, then it’s very likely that they will share it on their own timeline and their friends will see it, increasing the probability that their friends will like the post. Obviously, getting more shares results in more exposure for your posts, and therefore more opportunities for getting new fans to your page.
And Facebook’s algorithm will work its magic when a particular post is getting shared by many people, the post will get more exposure and increase the chances of more Likes, Comments and Shares… and the virality effect comes into effect.
However, there is no magic formula on what works best. You will need to figure out what YOUR audience likes the most. While Video content is the most popular media currently on Facebook, you will need to look at your previous posts and work out which post garnered the most engagement and why. You need to build on those posts and see if engagement does indeed increase as you go along.
Do explore the various different types of Posts that are available and you can then determine which format works most effectively for your Page.
So what types of posts are most likely to result in shares, and therefore new Facebook likes?
Video Content
It’s probably no surprise to you that video is HUGE on Facebook right now.
Both live and recorded videos are great for getting views and shares, and ultimately increase the time people spend interacting with your business on Facebook.
PLUS, Facebook has said that posts that create “meaningful interactions” get more exposure in News Feed, and has explicitly stated that both live and recorded videos are great for facilitating these interactions (but especially live videos).
Make sure these are part of your posting strategy!
Images
Funny, inspirational, educational or motivational images are great for increasing likes, comments and shares. And as these images are shared, your exposure increases, leading to new fans liking your page.
And the best part is you don’t have to be a graphic designer to create amazing images! Using a free tool like
Canva, you can create pretty much any type of Facebook graphic you’ll ever need (and more).
Contests
Contests are great for getting new likes, especially if you encourage entrants to like your page to stay up-to-date on the contest.
Of course, you really only want new fans who actually like your products or services…not just a bunch of random people who are just liking your page to get free stuff!
To avoid this, try to choose a prize that’s relevant and valuable only to your target market; for instance, rather than giving away cash or an iPad, give away your products, services or a gift certificate for your store or business.
Some ideas for your next Facebook contest:
- “Caption this” photos
- Fill in the blanks
- Fan of the week
- User-generated content contest (e.g., submit a photo to win)
- A trivia contest
Post Regularly and Test Different Frequencies
Using the strategies above will inevitably result in increased Facebook likes for your posts and your page. However, if you want to see CONSISTENT growth in terms of likes, you’ll need to make sure you post on a regular basis.
No one can tell you exactly how many times you should post for optimal engagement.
However, there are some clues out there that can give you a baseline from which to test things out for yourself.
So, using this as a jumping off point, test this with your own audience!
Your Facebook Insights will be your secret weapon here. Try posting 5x a day and monitor how much engagement you’re getting (overall, not for each individual post).
Based on what you learn, tweak your frequency until you’ve found the sweet spot for YOUR page!
Be Human.
People want to be able to relate to your brand. They want to know that you’re a real person, with real feelings, goals, values, struggles and opinions!
When people believe you’re relatable and personable (i.e. a real human), they’re far more likely to engage with and share your content. And THIS will inevitably lead to more likes.
Some ways to become more human on Facebook are:
- Telling stories people can relate to
- Being transparent with your audience. If you’re trying to sell them something, be up front about this!
- Building relationships with your fans. It’s not enough to post content, you need to respond to questions and engage in conversation
- Sharing your opinions on important topics. You don’t necessarily need to be controversial…just be real!
- Using visual content, especially video. This puts a real face (literally!) to your business
Promote Your Page Outside of Facebook.
If you already have a healthy list of email subscribers and other social media followers, why not encourage them to like your Facebook page too?
The same goes for your website or blog visitors. Make sure it’s easy for them to like your page by adding Facebook like and share buttons on every page of your site.
Facebook has an
assets page that will let you download official “Find us on Facebook” buttons, “Like us” buttons and much more.
You may also want to embed the
Facebook page plugin on your site to entice your website visitors to come participate in conversations taking place on your page, as they happen!
Final thoughts
There you have it: the key strategies you can use to get Facebook likes without ads!
If you take one thing from this post, it should be this: Remember that when you regularly share amazing content that your audience loves, your Facebook likes will grow completely organically, without any additional effort on your part. When people find true value in what you post, they’ll want to like and share your posts, and your page likes will continue to grow.
Want to up your Facebook game for 2020? Download the Essential Guide below: