Why doesn’t anyone like me on Facebook?

As a friend of mine likes to say, “It’s an enigma wrapped in a riddle.”  Sometimes the legion of loyal Facebook followers you envisioned just doesn’t come together like you had planned.

For many of us, our evolution in social media ultimately hits the point where it just feels like it’s a lot less social and a lot more work.  Truth is, it is work. Just like cultivating any relationship, our social media campaigns are only effective when we concern ourselves more with the needs of our audience than our own.

Let’s take a look at the steps leading up to an actual Facebook relationship.

• The announcement of your Facebook page – the flirtation stage. You like the idea of a fan page, but you’re a little afraid of rejection. What if they don’t “like” me?
• Awkward comments – “Beautiful weather we’re having.” or “Are you ready for the weekend?” Not really sure what to say, but you feel like you need to make some conversation.
• “Like Us on Facebook.” Asking for the first date, more or less. You’re hoping to not be rejected, but you’re ready to take the plunge.
• New Items in our store! You’ve made it to your first date, but unfortunately you’ve made the mistake of only talking about yourself. That second date can be pretty elusive if the object of your affection doesn’t think you care about what they have to say.
• “Click like if you think this picture is cute.” You’ve made past the first date- now to figure out what interests your date (audience).  You’re shooting in the dark hoping this date (post) will win them over.
• “Which of our products do you like the best?” You don’t know until you ask. It’s time to really work on getting to know what they want.

We’ve all been through the social media courting ritual and found it was ultimately worth it.  Trouble is, at some point the newness wears off and now it’s a lot of work to keep this thing going. If you find nobody is liking you on Facebook, it might be that you’ve become complacent and no longer care about what drives your audience to action.

It’s a lot of work to continuously think about the needs of your audience and adjusting your marketing plan accordingly.  Flexibility and persistence are probably the two biggest keys to social media success.  As you’re building your on-line reputation, always keep in mind how often people’s tastes change and how fads often leave more quickly than they arrived.  Learning to adapt to the changing needs of your audience is the difference between a long term relationship and striking out after one date.

About Ryan Naylor

Ryan Naylor is the President of Rock Local SEO. He is a big fan of going beyond Local SEO and creating more of a personal SEO for business clients. Ryan is a self professed numbers geek and enjoys breaking down analytics data to turn the numbers into practical business plans.
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