Are Likes or Followers More Important on Facebook

When growing a Facebook page, there are two crucial metrics you should pay attention to: likes and followers. You may have noticed that Facebook allows people to like or follow your page. Similarly, if you look at a business page you like or follow, you will notice that the page statistics consist of two numbers: likes and followers.

This can often be confusing as many are left wondering the difference between the two. This is especially because the numbers are reasonably consistent but don't precisely match. While the two are closely related, they also have their differences. This article will compare the two and answer which is more important. It will also guide you on how to increase your likes and followers.

Facebook Likes vs. Followers: Understanding The Differences

Facebook likes and follows have often been used interchangeably despite their distinct meanings. In both cases, they are used to show support for a page or brand. However, their key difference is the amount of control they offer over page engagement and content viewing.

Liking a Facebook page

For a long time, the only way of getting a Page's updates was by liking it as you automatically become its follower. However, with time, users needed more control over the type of content they needed to see on their page. That made Facebook make changes, allowing users to like a page and choose the type of content they saw on it.

Now, users can like a page and decide not to see any posts. When you like a Facebook page, you express your appreciation for the content the page posts. However, when you like a page, it doesn't mean you can see all of its content.

The Facebook algorithm determines the kinds of posts you see depending on several factors. These include:

• Interaction with the page. If you want to see more of a page’s posts, you need to interact more with it.
• Content interaction. The content you interact with on the page will determine the kind of content you see. If you interact more with videos, Facebook will show you more of such. If you interact with images, that's what you will see.
• Chances of engaging with the posts. The Facebook algorithm will also consider whether you will likely engage with the post.
• Chances of others engaging with the post. When the algorithm determines that other Facebook users are likely to interact with a post by liking and commenting, they are more likely to show it to you.

Why Your Facebook Page Likes Are Important

It is evident that the more page likes you have, the more visibility you have for your products or services. When people like your page, you get an audience to engage with your brand. The more likes you have, the larger the audience you can engage with.

Facebook likes also allow you to promote your products or services. You will also increase your Facebook engagement, providing you with better visibility for your posts. Page likes are an essential indicator of brand credibility. A page with many likes indicates that people trust your brand. Other customers may consider a brand with a high number of likes to be credible.

Following a Page

Following a page is a stronger sign of intent than liking a page. When you follow a page, you opt to see all its content without liking the page first. When the page you like posts, you will see the content on your newsfeed. There are several reasons why people choose to follow and not like a page:

When you like a Facebook page, this action will be visible to other users. Your friends will know that you like the page. That explains why you often see a notification saying something like "Peter Jones and 7 others like this page" when you come across the content of a page on the newsfeed.

Again, when people visit your profile, they can see a list of the pages you like. If you want to see a page's content without Facebook publicly announcing it, you should follow it. On top of that, many Facebook users interpret that they need to follow a page to see its content.

As noted earlier, you can like a page and choose not to see its content. In other words, you are liking a page without following it. On the other hand, when you follow a fan, that doesn't amount to becoming its fan. But it indicates that you are following the content of the page.

When you are a page follower, you can choose the kind of content you see on the page. For instance, you can only see video content or images alone. Therefore, it's better to track Facebook followers than Facebook likes.

Unfollows vs. Unlikes

It's important to note that unfollowing a page doesn't amount to unliking it. Just like in a personal profile, if you are unhappy with your friends' political posts and unfollow them, it doesn't mean you stop being friends with them. Instead, their posts will stop appearing in your newsfeed.

This is the same concept that applies to a Facebook page. When someone likes your page, they can choose to unfollow it and will continue liking it. That means your page will show the person who likes it even though they will not see your posts.

Are Likes More Important Than Followers?

It looks like having both is the perfect answer. Therefore, it all depends on the goal of your Facebook page. Some people consider Facebook a popularity contest and, therefore, consider having a high number of followers to be the measure of success. The number of followers is also essential for brands that want to drive more engagement.

However, followers are an essential metric to consider if you need more quality than quantity and want to drive engagement and conversion. Remember that when you drive more engagement, you increase exposure for your brand. Therefore, the number of followers is an important metric that shows the number of people who have opted to see your content.

How to Increase Page Likes and Followers Organically

We have already seen the importance of having more followers and likes. Here are tips to increase your number of Facebook followers and likes:

Avoid Using Scheduling Tools

Posting on Facebook takes a lot of time and effort. This is why many brands often use post-scheduling tools such as HootSuite and Buffer to schedule posts for later posting. However, studies indicate that the Facebook AI algorithm doesn't prefer such content. Instead, it prefers manually posted posts.

If you want to use scheduling tools, consider using the Facebook inbuilt posting tool. Similarly, if you share videos regularly, ensure that you upload videos manually instead of sharing your YouTube link.

Ask Followers to Choose to "See First"

When people like or follow your page, Facebook will show them posts by default. If you feel that they are genuinely interested in your content, you must request that they choose "See First" in your page settings. This setting is available under the drop-down menu below your cover photo.

Once they activate this setting, your posts will appear on their news feed first. This will help increase engagement in your posts. Besides, the Facebook algorithm recommends posts with a lot of engagement, so your page will appear in their recommendations. You can use @highlights and @followers features to announce this to all your Facebook followers.

Send Out Manual Invitations

When you post with a higher engagement level, Facebook will often show that post to people who don't like or follow your page. Some of those who see your posts will even like the post but not the page itself. You should reach out to these low-hanging fruits when seeking followers and page likes.

Someone who likes your posts already likes something about your page. When you invite them to like your page, they are more likely to heed your call than someone who has never heard about your page. Unfortunately,  there is no automatic way to invite people who like your posts to follow your page. The only way of doing that is manually.

Click on the three dots below your cover photo. A dialogue box will appear. You can then click on Invite friends. After this, click on Manage, then Engagement, and then invite people to connect. You will see a list of the people who reacted to your most recent posts and aren't your followers. Click on Invite.

Prompt Users to Engage

Another great hack for growing your page likes and following is asking users to engage. Don’t be afraid to ask users questions that require them to respond. You can even ask them to share your posts with their families and friends.

However, you don’t want to overdo it. If you keep asking them to like and comment on every post, this will appear as spam. Therefore, create a good balance between asking for engagement and avoiding spamming. For instance, if you create a positive post in the form of a question, users are more likely to engage with it.

Use Visual Storytelling

Visual storytelling is a persuasive and compelling communication method that can be a great way of marketing on Facebook. A study by Social Baker revealed that 93% of the engaging posts on Facebook use an image. 

Another study by Mashable indicated that posts with videos are usually shared 13 times more than text posts. According to Buzzsummo, using images and videos can increase your engagement by 2.3 times. When you increase your Facebook engagements, such as likes and shares, you are also likely to see a growth in followers and likes.

Use User-generated Content

User-generated content can be a great way of  Facebook advertising and showing your fans that you value and appreciate them. You should, therefore, encourage them to create, submit, and share content. Besides using it to show appreciation to your followers, user-generated content can be a great way to connect customers with your brand.

Ensure you post user-generated content on your page and give the creators a shout-out by tagging them. Not only will your creators be happy to see their posts, but they will also be ready to share them. Therefore, user-generated content is one of the Facebook trends in 2024.

Use a Mascot for Your Page

One of the most powerful but under-utilized tools for Facebook marketing is the use of a mascot. Not only does it provide personality for your brand, but it is something your friends can relate to. This is especially effective if your brand has a product targeting adults and children.

For more effective use of a mascot, ensure that the mascot has some character traits. You can include some quirks if you want it to be memorable. 

Use Well-optimized Visuals

Visuals are the first thing people notice when they visit your Facebook page. These are what provide your audience with an impression of who you are. Here are a few tips on optimizing the different elements:

Profile picture

In most cases, a profile picture is usually displayed at 160 pixels by 160 pixels. However, when uploading, maintain a minimum size of 180 pixels by 180 pixels. If you are a person, use a headshot for your profile picture. Avoid changing your profile picture regularly, as this is your audience's newsfeed icon. It helps them to recognize your content easily.

Cover photo

This is usually displayed at 851 by 351 pixels. While you can upload a cover photo with a minimum of 399 by 150 pixels, uploading a smaller size is not recommended, as this will cause the final image to be stretched. While changing covers doesn't have as much effect as the profile picture, you should ensure that every change still reflects the message you want to deliver.

Use well-optimized images

As noted earlier, images will drive more engagement than plain text. However, for the best results, you must also optimize them for desktop and mobile devices. On desktops, your images are usually displayed at 470 pixels wide and 470 pixels tall. They are usually displayed at 840 pixels wide and 626 pixels tall on mobile.

Provide Value to Readers

One of Facebook’s advertising tips is to avoid creating promotional content over and over again to market your products if you don't want your audience to get bored. Instead, focus on posting valuable content that they will appreciate. Remember that people join social media to be entertained and informed. Therefore, create posts that meet this need.

Use Clear and Concise Posts

Ensure that you remain clear and concise in your posts. When creating your Facebook  posts, answer these questions:

• Who are you talking to? Use social media analytics to identify your audience. Once you understand your audience, speak a language they can understand. This will ensure that they resonate with your posts. For instance, if your audience is millennials, use their language.
• What message do you want them to know? Once you understand your audience, you must be clear about what message you wish to send them. Ensure you don’t send the same message repeatedly, as this will bore your audience.
• What action do you want them to take? Be sure to add a call to action on what you want your audience to do. It could be to read an article, watch a video, or download a course.

Use Humor and Memes

There is no doubt that humor sells. In a stressed world, everyone is looking for a good source of laughter. Therefore, one way to catch your audience's attention is by throwing in some jokes in your content. However, you must avoid forcing it, or your posts will sound desperate.

Final Thoughts

If your page has more likes than followers, it indicates that many of your followers have opted out of seeing your posts. Therefore, you should evaluate the type of content you create to determine why they opted out.

It's also possible for people who like your page to turn off notifications for your page, and this means they will not see most of your posts. Therefore, it's essential to understand how your likes relate to your followers. By following our guide, you will not only understand the two metrics, but you can use the tips to grow your likes and followers. We also recommend that you read our Facebook advertising guide.