Likes UP: A Like is More Than a Like… and My Sincere Apology

Straight from personal profiles, folks are posting their shiny new Facebook Page Timeline and cover photo and asking what you think and will you please “like” this page. Also in messages, events, and even email lists, people are asking you to like their Facebook page.

If you belong to a Facebook group from time to time people ask you to like their business page on Facebook because they need 25 likes to get a custom username URL. Wherever there is a potential like, people are asking for it.

I’m sorry if I have not liked your page and here’s why.

The old Police song “Every move you make…I’ll be watching you” is my take on Facebook. And that’s fine. Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear it is Facebook’s job to watch and track every move we make, every song we post, every newspaper article we read, every comment/post/page we like, every note we read, every app we allow, and every click we click.

Apart from connecting with friends, family, business partners and associates, Facebook is to me one great big social experiment. That sort of goes for Google Plus too, but in a different way.

Facebook now has interest lists to track more of what you like via your pages.

On your personal profile, Facebook displays your likes, friends, music, pinterest pins, places, and more.

What happens when you like a Facebook page?

Your “like” gets recorded into the Facebook database in the sky, scratch that, cloud. Advertisers use these criteria to post ads. You see where I am going with this.

Facebook already makes assumptions about what you want to see because of your age. If your school, hometown, or relationship status is listed you’ll get different advertisements and offers.

A gal who’s in a relationship sees engagement ring advertisements. Your current hometown gives you plenty of local restaurant ads. If you’re over 40 you’ll see lots of diet ads.

So if you asked me to like your page because I happened to mention Dogington Post because I think the website is cool, and you see this comment and your page is about dogs, but I don’t currently have a dog, I will choose to withhold my like, not because your page isn’t fantastic, but because I probably will start getting ads about dogs.

Google uses the term “RIPPLE” in their social lingo. And the ripple effect of every of like on Facebook on every +1 on Google does have a continuous, reverberating effect on the personalization of our individual social experience.

So, again, I apologize for not liking your page even if you need 25 likes to get a custom username URL. Sorry.

And, last, since there are so many changes on Facebook Pages, with the official switch over date of March 30, it means you need to be more strategic about creating the big bill-board style cover image and the small app images for your Facebook page. Denise Wakeman has compiled a list of about 50 designers who create timeline covers, as well as links to some articles about the specifics you need to know so you keep it all in check with the Facebook rules.

Denise Wakeman’s List of Graphic Design Resources for Facebook Timeline Cover Images

#LikesUP for Likes on Facebook