Gaining popularity on Facebook
We live in a digital era driven by judging what is of value by the number of likes that it has on it. People post on their social media, whether it be brand-driven or for individual gain on the platform, and Facebook Likes are a way to ascertain the attention that particular post has garnered. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, has claimed that approximately a billion users are active on the site daily, and this itself is evidence of the massive outreach and impact that this platform can have on self-expression through Facebook likes.
The Psychology of Pressing Like
The motive behind a user pressing on the Like button can only be narrowed down to the fact that they have been gratified in their entertainment-seeking venture. The amount of Facebook Likes would directly equate to the number of people that have found the most satisfying in some way or other, and the more likes it attracts, the interest holding capacity of the post also increases. In this way, whoever has made the post feels like they have successfully influenced people to validate either what they were thinking, showcasing, or selling.
Always seeking to maximize the number of likes can be stressful. However, the high number of Facebook Likes on the post can be an encouragement to continue growing their online presence on the platform. Liking product posts will also influence offline behaviour in buying. However, Facebook Likes cannot be seen as a true endorsement because it is not the most accurate way to market on social media where people press the like button as a fleeting behavioural obligation which doesn’t necessarily mean they remember it afterwards.
Why does Facebook like?
Facebook Likes are also a way people gratify their social needs, as pressing the button enables them to feel like they are a part of a larger community, holding shared values. No matter how fickle it may be dismissed to be when someone likes a post, they are also unconsciously forming opinions about themselves and certain likes, or the refusal to like something unsuitable to their image helps strengthen their sense of self. For example, nobody would like posts about deaths, but active political stances will be liked as they will link it to doing their part for justice in their minds.
Does More Facebook Likes Equate to Increase in Sales?
Brands cannot quantify the number of likes to the sales of their product because it is not how many people saw the product that matters but the rate of engagement. Alike has no monetary value, and organic reach can only be possible through true interaction, which will lead to higher sales. Incentivizing likes and failing at delivering the product branded will only result in loss of customers due to lack of authenticity.
Liking a page is irrelevant if brand promotion is not done properly, along with follow-ups to create the image, and that is where the revenue lies.