Numbers gives such a concrete basis to any business that marketers are almost addicted to it. This addiction has creeped into social media as well. More and more brands tend to measure the success of their products or services by the number of fans they have. But does the number of fans really signify the success or progress of a brand?
It is believed that the number of fans on Facebook directly reflects the success of a company, but the number of fans actually doesn’t mean anything much. It sure gives you a very positive feeling about the whole thing. Its true that starting out on social networks is not easy. It’s like moving to a new neighborhood. You have to knock on doors, bump into neighbors on your way to work, participate in social activities, to make your presence known. But it doesn’t mean that the number of neighbors you meet is more important than the quality of relationships. All the users who are fan of any company are not the ones company can rely on. There are many instances when you become a fan of something just because a friend of yours is. Such kind of fan following doesn’t really add any value to the company’s success.
Companies should in fact concentrate more on the conversations taking place about their brand. What people are talking about their company will act as a true indicator of its success. For Facebook pages, insights are offered for free to all admins. For Twitter, monitor retweets, and @mentions (or you can check out ad.ly analytics). Also, access your web analytics and monitor traffic sources. They are a more accurate reflection of how successful your page is. If your fans truly enjoyed engaging with you on these platforms, their interactions would increase. This also means that they are listening to your corporate messages, and what you have to offer.
As you move on, make sure the people you are inviting to become fans are relevant to your business. And then, let the magic of word of mouth begin!
