Since the launch of the new Facebook pages spammers are running riot. Their latest trick is to use Facebook as a page then post spam links and comments on the walls of other pages.
Their goal is usually to entice people to click through and Like a Facebook page. But it’s an amateurish tactic and does little to build a credible brand.
Related to this tactic is posting the same offer on multiple business pages. Neither works.
Why?
If I use a page to post something on another page it shows up in the newsfeed of my page’s fans e.g. John’s Bricklaying > Bob’s Plumbing [Post content]. Many marketers believe that posting on another page wall will show as an interaction in the newsfeed of the other page’s fans. It doesn’t.
The other place the post shows up is on the wall of the other page. Well only sort of. With the latest round of changes to Facebook pages, the wall is filtered, and that often consigns low value posts to invisibility.
Here’s what the Facebook Help Centre has to say:
People who like your Page may view a specific filter by default, depending on when they last visited your Page. For example, if they recently visited your Page, they will see Most Recent. If they have not visited your Page recently, they will see Top Posts. People who like your Page can choose to switch between the two views by toggling the viewing option in the top right corner of the Wall.
Spam comments rarely attract many Likes or comments so it’s unlikely they’ll ever reach the Top News filter and that means that people visiting the other page for the first time won’t even see the post unless a new page visitor takes the time to change the filter settings to Most Recent.
Too bad!
Facebook has another way of dealing with hyper-activity. If I use a page to post or comment a lot within a short period of time Facebook will display only one of those comments – possibly the one that’s had the most interaction – along with the notation ‘X more similar stories’. Rather than placing repetitive, low value content into the fans’ newsfeed Facebook surfaces only one interaction and leaves it to the fans to discover more.
Of course there’s a delicate balance involved here. It takes time and effort to build a sense of community using a Facebook page. Brands with a massive following may find it easy but for most small businesses it takes work. Reaching out and building relationships with related businesses is an important strategy. But relationships don’t start with selling and they definitely don’t start with spam.
Instead of using your page to write “Please follow us by liking our page .. click the link!” on another page start with using your page to add a genuine comment on a post. Do this regularly. Participate in the conversation. Add value. Support. Encourage. Earn your stripes first.
Remember, this is another brand’s space. Treat it with respect. That’s how to build a well-regarded brand that will last the test of time.
Photo credit: pandemia on Flickr