a lesson from facebook: is it better to be liked or to have fans?
I reckon I’d rather be liked. 
Last week Facebook announced:
In the next two to three weeks, the “Become a Fan” concept for branded pages will be replaced with the more prevalent “Like” button and brands will no longer accumulate “Fans,” but “Connections” instead…the “Become a Fan” verbiage will disappear, being replaced by the simple “Like” button and thumbs up icon.
Interesting, no? There is a big difference between “being a fan” and “liking” something. And between accumulating fans and being liked.
I confess: I cringe regularly at my social networking flittering. I’m on Twitter, Facebook and I blog. Sometimes I’m just not certain about my motives. Is it about accumulating followers? Attention? Why do I reach out? Recently, esp in light of my Mitch Albom column, I’ve tried to be conscious of reaching out authentically. Doing it for the right reason. It takes focus and commitment. But it’s paying off. Every time I’m authentic I get wonderful feedback (from this blog, from strangers, from the “universe).
Twitter is all about fan whoring. You on Twitter? Don’t tell me you don’t see your growing followers’ tally as an accomplishment? Or that you haven’t been intrigued by the techniques used to get more people on that tally? But something in me is ill-at-ease with this concept.
To want fans is to want people to attach themselves to your exterior image. It’s tentative. Fans expect something from their attachment to you. There is no connection yet. In fact, there is a “me” and “you over there” gap that can prevent connection.
To be liked is to connect from the outset. You’ve already given something. Liking seals the connection.
I see twitter as a way of sharing. Thoughts, ideas, interesting reading etc. I follow people whose ideas and thoughts inspire and interest me (i.e. Sarah of course, also Chas from the Chaser, Josh Thomas, Frankie magazine). Just because I follow them, it doesn’t mean that I am necessarily a “fan” (and sometimes visa versa – I no longer follow John Mayer, for example, even though I love his music). Sometimes a good vibe is reason enough for me to follow, no matter how mundane their tweets. I don’t see twitter as “whoring” per se, although some people use it that way. I think that people who measure their success or popularity by their twitter followers must have a warped sense of self.
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April 7th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Laura, i like two things you say:
1. that you stop being a fan when you no longer like what they’re posting. I’ve done that with Deepak Chopra. And a Melbourne columnist who’s tweets are just too aggressive.
2. you pick up on the vibe of the tweeter. I think Twitter is actually best put to use with positive posts. As per above.
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I don’t see my growing twitter base as an accomplishment, most are spammers haha… I do have a “fan page” (which yes sounds like a wank) on facebook for my website, the idea of ‘liking’ has more appeal, I concur.
I realise many that are “fans” have never read my stuff and I’m not sure why they are there – but I agree each time I am authentic, I am rewarded and for every person who is authentic in their enjoyment of my writing than that makes me happy. I am not concerned with numbers I am more concerned with how authentically I can relate to people through facebook and twitter, the ‘fakeys’ among them, I don’t want a bar of. I regularly cull my lists to make sure only the real ones stay.
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There’s an easy solution to that. Don’t advertise your Facebook or Twitter-Account on your website or anywhere. Then only people really interested in you will find you.
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Oh Great! Now I’m an authentic whore. Do I like that or will I see what my fans think?
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April 7th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
William, like this. I mean, I admire it. In a non-fanny way.
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Not captured by the term “like”……splitting hairs maybe? Look up definition of like and you find terms like fondness, agreeable, preference for – these terms lack passion and enthusiasm for me. Not a huge distinction for me between “fan” and “like”. I know that the people I wish to connect and engage with are those whose work I respect, who have views that get me thinking and questioning what I believe to be true.
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Sarah, at the risk of exposing my literary inadequacies (perhaps you’ll be too busy to get back to this and not notice!) I had to say I enjoyed your reply. Without deviating from the straight and narrow, ‘non-fanny way’ does throw me a little though!
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I agree with your thoughts on this topic Sarah and your thoughts in general. Which is why I follow you on Twitter, read your blog and your weekly article in Sunday Life magazine.
You’re a lovely person and it shines through your writing and musings.
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Oh, thank you Kasia. Very generous! Made me perk up a little…a slow start to my day, today!
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[...] have been doing lately. Maybe I won’t anymore. I fear it’s one of those techniques for grabbing followers. Which doesn’t feel authentic. Until I work it out, I’ll just flag great stuff that I [...]
i wanted a writing project, so I started to blog. the social networking side to it all completely blind sided me! But I’m getting into the swing of it in the most genuine way I can, which is not to say it doesn’t leave me scratching my head at times…Have not dared venture so far as to facebook, and what you say of this ‘fans’ thing is one of the major reasons why!
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