8 Benefits to Facebook 'Likes'

Last week, I addressed strategies for increasing numbers of Facebook Likes, in "15 Ways to Get Liked on Facebook." This week, I discuss 8 reasons why getting Likes can benefit your business, and I cite research that attempts to assign a value to each "Like."

8 Reasons to Encourage Likes

1. Expression of Affinity. A Like is an expression of casual affinity. It indicates the visitor has an interest in your business and wants to hear from you. It's similar to someone opting-in to receive email updates. This can lead to the building of more personal relationships with customers and a greater degree of engagement with them, as well.
2. More Engaged Users. According to Facebook, people who click the Facebook Like button are "more engaged, active and connected than the average Facebook user." Facebook claims the average "Liker" has 2.4 times the amount of friends than that of a typical user and he or she is also more interested in exploring content they discover on Facebook. Likers click on 5.3x more links to external sites than the typical user, says Facebook.
3. Email Marketing Capability. Once people Like your page, they are added to your fan base. Using the messaging feature contained in the page's administrative console, you can send broadcast-style emails to all your fans, or target them based on demographics, such as age, gender and location. While this tactic should not be overused, sending an occasional email is another way to stay top of mind with customers.