It’s enticing. I know. I was intrigued when I first saw this. But you know the old saying “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

And if you are in business for the long haul....

In other words, you are building a business that you want to have for more than a year or two, think twice before implementing this plan. And here is why.

Companies that employ these strategies (I hesitate to use that word) are usually not invested in your long-term success. The plan they use is to go after anyone, anywhere who will click the like button on your page. And they target people in developing countries because it will cost less to target this group.

You will build up thousands of people who do not have and never will have an interest in your services. Then the idea is that it will be easier and less costly to zoom in closer to your target.

But Getting Likes for The Sake of Getting Likes Just Doesn’t Work

According to a study cited by SocialSamosa, only 1% of users who like a business page will visit that brand’s Facebook page. So, for those 10,000 likes about 100 will visit your page. And that will still not ensure that those 100 will actually be interested in what you have to offer.

Ever hear of the story of the Tortoise and the Hare?

This is a favorite fable of mine. You can read the full story here. But the short version is this. The two opponents were having a race. The rabbit was faster and tried to take the quick and easy way to reach his goal. The tortoise,on the other hand, was slow and methodical. He had a strategy mapped out. And he continued step by step eventually winning the race.

While it is enticing to garner those likes it may not be your best strategy.

Another reason is Facebook advertising. If you have built your page with quality likes that matter you will be able to use that to create the perfect audience for your ads. It doesn’t matter if you have 300 or 3000 likes on your page.

Use Your Contacts to Build a Bigger List

If the people who like your Facebook page are interested in your business you can duplicate them. These are people who need your services. They are good referral partners.

With Facebook advertising,you can take these contacts and create a “lookalike audience” to get new business. Facebook will find people in your market area who fit the same demographics as your contacts.

But Beware!

On the other hand, if a lot of your likes do not fit the demographics of your ideal client or referral partner you will not want to use that metric.

If your business is local you want to attract local traffic.

So stop worrying about the number of your likes and become concerned with the quality.

Creating a Strategy is the key to growing a successful business that will also be sustainable in the long haul.

Kathryn Watson has been in business for herself since 1992. She is a speaker, author, and coach. Kathryn loves to help small service related businesses market using the vast resources of social media.

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