Learning to Share at 60 - Like, Follow, and Share unpacked

There are many entrepreneurial folks running some form of Business through Facebook these days – blogs, side hustle, new ventures, crafts, publishing, articles, favorite products, etc. It is a great way to find and target an audience that could most likely like and follow what you are putting out there – and as a business, we can make choices by age, gender, and interests for our posts. We are hoping that we can spark enough interest for you to like, follow and share – often!

LIKES

If you like a page, then you will automatically be following it (you can see that the follow button automatically turns blue as well). Those “likes” matter as it can show up on Facebook that you like it, and subliminally, your friends and contacts might take a look since you liked it and they trust you.* And, if a page has thousands of likes, we also want to be like the Joneses and make sure we are not missing out. That is what Facebook is about – grass roots connecting. I’m sure you have seen something like “Mary likes Target” when Target runs a sponsored post (paid advertising). A page is grateful for you taking the time to like and follow them and wears it proudly!

* Even if you “like” a page though, posts from that page may fall off your news feed if you don’t ever “react” to a post (like, heart, emoticons, etc.) If you feel you are missing things from them, hop back on their page and respond to a few posts so the Facebook algorithm knows you want to see it! I have even read recently that the heart and other emoticons will rank higher in the new algorithm than a plain like. We are looking for “engagement,” even if you don’t want to comment, and even a “click” to read further counts.

2018 NEWSFEED CHANGE

Facebook has decided that you will be "happier" if you see more from friends and family than bloggers or businesses that you are interested in. They are watching what you interact with, as opposed to just scrolling. To try to keep your faves in your Newsfeed, click on the dropdown menu after "following" and click on "see first." That should help for now.

An unpromoted post (no $ paid to Facebook) might have limited range (most recently about 10% of those who have liked a page!), even if you push “like” with a heart.

FOLLOWS

If you choose to just “follow” a page (without clicking the like button), you will get posts from this page in your News Feed, but nothing from that page will show on your timeline or elsewhere, unless you choose to share something interesting from a post.

Friends can see things you like and share (but don’t always), and NO ONE ELSE can see your News Feed.

One of the funniest explanations by writer and blogger, Roland Denzel, went something like this–

“You have a hemorrhoid treatment page and Frank wants to hear what you recommend, but doesn’t want anyone to know that he has hemorrhoids. He could follow the page and get all the information as it is posted without having to like it. And no one likes hemorrhoids.”

There were some funny comments. And, speaking of hemorrhoids, the last two years brought lots of posts related to political commentary. Sigh. (Read my blogpost about Facebook Friendships if you want to reign any of that in). Which brings me to sharing.

SHARING

Social media is truly supposed to be me taking notice because something was important to you. You, someone I “friended”, and want to stay connected with, is saying this post is good or important. There are plenty of dinner plates, kittens, and political opinions being shared every day. What your friends who are artists, writers, musicians, small business owners, small charity starters, and entrepreneurs are hoping, is that you will push the “share” button to further support their ventures.  

HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT

You, personally, might not be able to go to Steven C’s free concert at the Cathedral, are maybe allergic to the lactose in Steven G’s ice cream, might not send out any Christmas cards, let alone Karen’s new design, nor have grandchildren yet who would enjoy Rick’s new picture book, or you haven’t yet tried Dan’s new restaurant, but…if you push the “share” button, someone else you are connected with might be thrilled to find out about any one of those things, because they trust you. And they might share with their friends too! (Remember our generation of shampoo ad “and then they told two friends…”)

Thank you, in advance, for sharing. It matters.

Original Pencil Drawing, www.KarenRitzCards.com