How much is a “Like” actually worth?
Are likes worth anything – How much content did you “like” yesterday, this week or over the last month?
If you can remember then you’re doing better than I am.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that we all throw away our carefully constructed digital plans and revert to posters and print – although these can still be very effective for the right audience – I’m merely suggesting that on its own a “Like” is virtually useless.
Okay, so someone liking your online content puts you into their newsfeed so they will see when you post new content – if they’re online, if they’re looking at their newsfeeds, if your content was published in the immediate past, if they don’t scroll right past it because they’re no longer interested, if they’re still in some stage of a buying cycle and if they don’t delete it. That’s a lot of “ifs”.
A “Like” is the lowest level of interest yet created. If I asked you to list all the content you have “Liked” it would be virtually impossible. So we have extended the AIDA model with an extreme low level of interest that means very little or virtually nothing. I like Aston Martin – alas I’m nowhere close to being able to buy one!
Likes – not worth anything?
So, we have increased our online audience by 40% (as I have done) but when are they online, are they ever online at the same time, does interest in one piece of content signify anything more than that and how far have we still to go to create any type of real interest?
Whilst the scale of our online audience can be seen and produces real(ish) numbers it tells us no more than that. Are these people actively following our every move or just pleased with a single piece of content, are they the parents and friends of our own staff who have little or no interest in our product or service or are they bona fide prospects who are struggling to engage any further with us because we haven’t mapped an effective customer journey they can follow?
Likes – really worth anything – ii
Whilst we can see where our website visitors came from we have little information beyond that and this does of course miss the potential chasm between our social media audience and the percentage of those who have been able to get to our website. I have seen website visitors in six figures over a three month period but with over 82% leaving within two pages.
We have little or nothing referring to age, gender, location (beyond regional geography), attitudes, beliefs or intention to purchase so I guess what I’m asking for is an integrated approach, to not throw the analogue baby out with the digital bathwater but to recognise the need to understand your prospects and customers beyond their digital footprint and to build relationships accordingly…….isn’t that want marketing ought to be about?