Rory Cellan-Jones Technology correspondent:
For the past week, I’ve been running a very successful small business via Facebook. It is called VirtualBagel and more than 3,000 people from around the world have decided they “like” it – despite the fact that it does, well, absolutely nothing. But in running this non-existent firm I have learned quite a bit about the value of those “likes” prized by so many big brands, and the usefulness of Facebook’s advertising.
Read more about this on the BBC’s site at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18819338
A deeper dive into the demographics of these likes showed a disproportionate interest from countries like Egypt, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with minimal traction from major markets like the US and UK. Furthermore, many of these ‘likers’ had profiles that seemed to indiscriminately ‘like’ thousands of pages, raising questions about the authenticity of such engagements.
While Facebook defends its advertising model, this experiment underscores the need for brands to discern genuine engagement from mere numbers. With platforms like FanCircles, brands can ensure a more authentic and direct fan engagement, moving beyond the superficiality of mere ‘likes’ to cultivate genuine fan communities.
Author: Kevin Brown
Kevin, the CEO of FanCircles, is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in both the tech and music industries. He has managed arena-level artists and founded Affiliate Window (Awin.com), which he successfully exited in 2012 after its acquisition by Axel Springer. Recognizing the needs of artists and labels to connect directly with fans, he embarked on the journey of establishing FanCircles.
