

To Like or Not to Like: Facebook Like-Gating and Apps - benjaminfox
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/to-like-or-not-to-like-facebook-like-gating-and-apps/38801/

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makecheck
"Like-gating" is a behavior that I find pathetic; it dilutes what little value
there might have been to tracking "likes" to begin with.

If you _actually_ care how valuable your brand is, you won't give anyone a
damned thing for "liking" you and you won't make it a condition of doing
anything else. What good is a disingenuous opinion about your brand? You
should only want a "like" if someone gave it to you without being asked.

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slaven
I think you misunderstand the purpose of getting a Like in this example: it's
not for social proof, but to create a more direct relationship with the "fan"
so that when you post on your Facebook page they become part of the
conversation.

Think of it as collecting an email from your customer, it's disruptive to the
process of trying the app and some users will not do it, but it allows you to
talk to the ones that do submit, helps build a better product in the long run
and keep those same users happier.

~~~
makecheck
Customers should not see walls or spam. Intentions are irrelevant if the
outcome annoys people.

What part of the verb "Like" would make the customer think "oh please make me
part of a conversation"? I would go as far as to say it is _obvious they
wouldn't expect that outcome_.

If you put any roadblock at all between your customer and the acquisition of
your product, you _will_ lose some customers. And you will never know how many
because they will silently think "to hell with that" and never return.

If you subsequently spam customers with updates, they will start regretting
the purchase and make a mental note to never buy from you again. Once I bought
a pair of sunglasses and began receiving spams _once a week_ from the store
(seriously, how often could I _possibly_ be interested in sunglasses,
especially since I _just bought a pair_?).

It may be a hard pill to swallow, but there is no reason for a customer to
give a damn about a company on a regular basis unless it's a product that can
be consumed really often (like maybe going to a restaurant every few weeks).
If it's something that people may buy only every few years, _they don't care
about you_ and _they don't want to hear from you_.

Facebook pages and other sites already have ways to request updates, e.g. the
"Get Updates via RSS" link. Unlike abuse of "Like", the updates link is
clearly labeled and it _does_ tell the user what will happen when it's
clicked. It is also _correctly_ off to the side where it's available for those
who need it and not in the way for those who don't.

