Recently, Facebook made some announcements and one of those announcements was that you can no longer “like gate” or require people to like your page to get something in return.
“You must not incentivize people to use social plugins or to like a Page. This includes offering rewards, or gating apps or app content based on whether or not a person has liked a Page. It remains acceptable to incentivize people to login to your app, checkin at a place or enter a promotion on your app’s Page. To ensure quality connections and help businesses reach the people who matter to them, we want people to like Pages because they want to connect and hear from the business, not because of artificial incentives. We believe this update will benefit people and advertisers alike.”
So what does this mean to you as a marketer?
In the past, many fan page owners have placed like gates on their app's to ensure that people “like” their page before they receive their free eBook, for example.
Essentially, Facebook is trying for force fan page owners to grow their page organically OR pay to do so.
Another common technique has been to use contests apps that require people to like your page as a part of entering the content. This will no longer be allowed.
Like-gating is now banned by Facebook!
If you have like gates on your Facebook apps or are using a like option on your contests, you will have until November 5, 2014 to remove them.
What you can still do…
You can still use a like button and suggest that those who land on your app like your page, you simply cannot make it MANDATORY for them to like your page.
So what do you think? Good or bad move on Facebook's part?
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Thanks for the heads up Kim. Just when my addled old brain was about to take the plunge into gating! FB is now getting so oppressively commercial I think there’s an implosion coming!
I actually think this is going to be a good thing, Sharon. It will keep people from fanning pages that they aren’t interested in just to win a contest. It should give us better fan bases 🙂
I totally agree !! This is crazy ! Everyone loves the FREE contest !- if they really did not want to like a page they can just go UNLIKE it after the giveaway !!! Its not FORCING ANYONE !
Nope on the implosion, in my opinion. There are way more people using Facebook for what it was designed to do – connect people. From a marketing standpoint, there has never been a great opportunity because the people are there. The key is to adjust our strategies and keep plugging along.
I view this change as purely a matriarchy type, in that it is about the relationships, and quality of them we invest in. Much like a family unit operating in a home where “Family” unites to set the table for supper. There is no contest to sit at the table for dinner!
Great analogy, Michele!
All of the contest apps will continue to function as before you just won’t be able to fangate the page and require a link to enter the contest.
Correct.
Thanks, Kim, for making this easy to understand and I also appreciate your comment re: this not really causing an “implosion.” Will be following you from now on to keep up to date. I’m a food blogger and dietitian and have no time to also become a social media expert!
Thanks for dropping in Julia!
Thanks for this post Kim. I think this move by FB was long time coming to weed out those who are interested in a business opposed to those to like it to win something. I’d rather have a few quality leads than 100s of people who like my page to win something.
I would prefer quality over quantity as well, Rashida!
Thanks Kim. Always appreciate that you’re on top of the latest changes and let us know how they may or may not affect us as marketers. 🙂
It’s what I do, Malcolm 🙂
Google plus is already this way for rafflecopter. It was just a matter of time before facebook banned it as well. Thanks for the article Kim!
It’s just a part of the evolution of social media, in my opinion 🙂
The one constant in social media? CHANGE. It’s not going to stay the same. As marketers, we simply have to adjust and adapt 🙂
Susan, you can still encourage people to like your page but you cannot make it a requirement.
There is a link in the article, Kerry.
Yes, you can still suggest that they like your page but you cannot make it mandatory.
Carolyn, if you haven’t been using apps to grow your fan base, this won’t impact you at all.
I disagree, Vernest. I think there is a huge marketplace on Facebook and as marketers and small business owners, we have the cheapest marketing tool STILL available to us. In comparison to traditional marketing costs, Facebook is a small fraction to reach the same numbers…EXCEPT with Facebook we can actually target instead of using the shotgun approach. Yes, we do have to get smarter but it’s totally doable!
As marketers, we just have to flex and get smarter with our strategies. 🙂
I think all platforms are good for bloggers. In fact, Twitter is my #1 traffic source to my blog. It’s all in the strategies you use on each platform that drives traffic…it’s not the platform itself.
I think it’s a positive thing as well, Tim.
That is correct, Laura. You can no longer require that people like your page to enter the contest.
I agree with you! It is going to weed out a lot of people and make room for those who seriously want to grow their businesses.
Sooo important to move fans to your list as soon as you can. AGREE!
Actually, I think it’s a way to help business owners get better quality fans. I actually think it’s going to be a positive thing.
That genie is already out of the box, Hilary. Not going back in 🙂
I agree, Andrew!
You just can’t REQUIRE them to like your page to participate in your contest via a like gate on an app page.
Thanks for the confirmation. Have a great weekend.
Yep! You said it!
But if those people are liking your page just to win the prize, are they really your ideal customer?