Have you ever had an instance where you’re on Facebook and you stumble on a brand promoting “Free iPads!” or “Limited time only: redeem your free gift now!” You then click on the promotion only to realize… you have to “like” the brand’s Facebook page first before you can do anything. This is known as the “like gate.” This August however, Facebook announced it was axing the marketing tactic, offering companies 90 days to comply. Facebook justifies the change by wanting its users to like a page because they want to genuinely connect with the brand, and not because they were enticed by “artificial incentives.”

Image Source: Votigo

I thought this news event tied in nicely with last class’ guest speaker, A&W’s Robert Cifarelli. Robert spoke about the downsides of value exchanges. If a brand is new to Facebook and wants to attract their first fans, offering incentives like discounts or freebies in exchange for a “like” may work very well (i.e. the company gets 100k in likes instantly), but the real question is: are these “fans” actually fans? Brands who employ “like gate” tactics run the risk of attracting everyone except their ideal consumers.

Some may argue the “like gate” can be effective if executed properly. However, the brands that have the most effective digital marketing strategies are usually the ones that are making genuine connections with its fans and engaging them so that two-way conversations are taking place. These brands have the power to “stop people’s thumbs” from scrolling past its posts and be able to stand out above the rest. The brands that do this the best can influence people. Some brands even become permanent fixtures in people’s lifestyles. As such, I think Facebook is doing marketers’ a favour by removing the like gate.