The Ladder of Love: Growing Facebook Fans

I was lucky enough to spend my last afternoon in Alaska  driving to Talkeetna with Aliza Sherman who lives in Alaska who I’ve known since 1995 and with Cassandra Stalzer my host!    I love the framework she created for identifying and cultivating Super Fans on Facebook.   I like to call it the ladder of love!
The very first step is getting attention and getting people to “like” or join your Facebook page.    There are many creative ways to promote your Facebook page to promote your page to your target audience and get them join or like.    Here’s an example from the Food Bank of Monterey County, a Lucile and David Packard Grantee that I’m coaching this year.
They launched their page slowly and had about 100 fans.    Earlier this week,  TysonFood Hunger Relief blog offered to donate 100 pounds of food product for every “like” on their page.    They’ve increased their fan base by 4 times or over 400 now – and the odds are good that there will be a truckload of food delivered to the Food Bank on October 4th.    What’s nice about this approach is that it isn’t a contest and the only “winners” are the people who are served by the Food Bank.
Don’t forget about the importance of the Facebook feed.   Fans  won’t visit your page,but they may see your news in their news feed. Getting people to like or comment on your Facebook content improves the chances that more people will see it in their feed, an algorithm referred to as “EdgeRank.” TechCrunch goes into more detail about Facebook’s EdgeRank here.
The big mistake that many organizations make is that they stop at the “attention” phase of the ladder of love.   Getting people to click the “like” button and join your Facebook is only the first step in a deep engagement strategy.    You have to provide good content so people it will catch your fans attention and they will like your posts.   And, of course, you need content that inspires good conversation.   (Using spreadsheet aerobics will help you hone your content and engagement strategies on Facebook)

But to bring your fans higher up on the ladder of love – to loyality, leadership, and evangelism – takes consistent engagement and relationship building.
When I was in Alaska, I asked Mary D Barber what nonprofit did the best job of engaging its audience on Facebook consistently?  She pointed to the  Anchorage Concert Association. When I examined their page, I noticed they engage with audience before, during, and after shows.

What I found later after interviewing their Executive Director, Jason Hodges, is that before each show begins they make an announcement from the stage.  They ask patrons to pull out their smart phones, take a photo of the person sitting next to them, and post on their Facebook page.  Then they ask them to shut the smart phones off.
Once you have this level of consistent engagement, you will begin to see leadership and loyality and be ready to reach out to those emerging super fans who will become your evangelists and spread their love for your mission all over the social web.
How have you used the “ladder of love” to plot your Facebook or social media strategy?