The Sounding Board

Someone “Likes” Your Brand. So What?

  

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Let’s admit it – we have way too many Facebook friends. “Friends” that we’ve

met once, “friends” we haven’t met but know through other connections, “friends” whom we haven’t seen or spoken to since high school, etc. You know who I’m talking about. But yet, when you look at your friend count, you think it’s impressive to say that you’re connected to hundreds, maybe even thousands. But they aren’t all friends whom you would meet for coffee, schedule a business meeting with or even wish a happy birthday on Facebook. Instead, they are random connections without substance. The same can be had for brands and their Facebook pages. Often times, brands rate their Facebook effectiveness by the number of their fans, constantly promoting giveaways, photo sharing and coupon offerings, all by “Liking” their page.

I do it all the time, and I’m sure I haven’t visited many of them since cashing in on the instant gratification that first drew my attention.

So then what’s the point of measuring effectiveness based on a number

if it really isn’t truthful? It just goes to show that fan count (like friend count) shouldn’t solely determine the social media success of a company or brand. As detailed by Fathom Analytics’ Relationship Quality Index, engagement and emotion are just as important and are amongst the four factors Fathom looked at when ranking brands on Facebook: number of fans, momentum of fan acquisition, fan engagement and emotional quality of fan posts.

These factors really draw together the best brands that not only have high fan counts, but also have fans that actually invest in the brands and the ideas that they represent. Whether it’s by writing product reviews, sharing a customer service story or asking for technical help, the brands lis

ted in Fathom Analytics’ Facebook Relationship Quality Index graph (below) have a loyal fan base and should be examined for anyone looking to pump up their brand’s Facebook presence. While some of the brands listed aren’t surprising to see (Starbucks and iTunes), some of the random food snacks were. (Who knew Pringles has such loyal following?) Regardless, I think the most interesting thing to note is the order of the brands themselves, and understanding why the list shook out the way it did. So take a read through AdAge's article and see where brands achieved credit in Fathom’s criteria and the areas in which they lacked recognition.

And while you’re at it, think about the brands you’re a fan of on Facebook and which ones you pay the most attention to. What are they, and what makes them so attractive? Take a minute to jot them down in the comments section – I might be in need of brand exploration…

- Mary Evans