This should be kind of “duh” for business entities out there, that a Facebook like does not equate to brand loyalty, and that is what eMarketer is reporting on right now. One highlight of the report that 59% of Facebook users have liked a brand in 2011 however there seems to be a disconnect between the reasons fans like a brand on Facebook and the reasons the people at the brand think fans like their brands.

For example, at MXyMAG.com we know that the people fan the Facebook page because of the pictures, and though the magazine isn’t about the girls first we have to roll with the punches and understand that regardless of the greatness of an article that to a male audience pictures come first. So therefore our articles are to answer the ones that go, “what else is here?” And it is by not answering THAT question where our competition fails.

The CMO Council asked facebook users on why they had liked a brand, 67% responded that it was because of exclusivity – most fans want exclusive offers, followed by 60% who want to share their experiences while 50% of fans want service and support and another 41% of the respondents want to share ideas for new products and features.

The bottomline of this survey comes down to this – it is very important for brands on Facebook to offer a unique and engaging experience to their consumer.

Brands should go as far as killing the notion that people who click like are (just) consumers or “fans” and instead view them as an extended employee or staff member, all without making it feel like they are going out of their way to interact.

Facebook in that sense becomes a powerful tool that is easily set up to facilitate that experience, especially with most activities on a fan page being posted on individual’s newsfeeds.

Sources:  eVoc Insights, eMarketer, CMO Council

Popularity: 1%

Interesting topics below: