Although there isn't a magical solution to retain fans, we believe asking them what they expect from you is a great first step. This could include everything from discount expectations to reasons for 'liking' or 'following' a brand.

1. Stickiness: Convincing Your Brand's Fans and
Followers to Stay
Fans and Followers; the Social Media Butterflies
It is not uncommon for a brand to suddenly amass a horde
of fans and followers and watch them leave just as fast as
they arrived. We call this the „butterfly behavior‟. While
most brands have their regular, loyal fan following, there
are those who briefly follow a brand on Twitter or „like‟ a
Facebook page, only to „flitter away like a butterfly‟ to
another brand‟s social media page before deciding neither
interests them. For online marketers, the challenge is to
hold their interest long enough to convert these ’social
media butterflies’ to loyal fans and keep them from
clicking on that „unfollow‟ or „unlike‟ button. The reasons
why people stop following your social media page could
vary from something as simple as „the brand does not
interest me anymore‟ to more serious reasons like ‘too
much irrelevant or annoying content’. To avoid a dip in
followers and fans, it is important that online marketers
understand what their customers expect from them.
According to a June 2011 study from ExactTarget,
Facebook users have certain preconceived notions about
what to expect when they „like‟ a company on the site,
and among those who do not become brand fans, many are
negative. From this study, it is evident that certain
„assumptions‟ simply drive consumers away, even before
they decide to give the brand a chance. „The Social Breakup„(a study released by ExactTarget and CoTweet) refers to
the time period between „friending‟ or „following‟ a company, right until when the customer decides to take it to the
next level (after spending enough time with the brand), as the „honeymoon period‟. The study further indicates that
many customers, for various reasons, decide to cut the relationship short after the initial spark dies out. Here are
other interesting excerpts:
55% of Facebook users have „liked‟ a company and
later decided they no longer wanted to see the
company‟s posts.
51% fans said they rarely or never visit a company‟s
page after liking it.
41% of Twitter users have followed a company on the
microblogging site and later stopped following them.
The study also focuses on fans‟ typical actions when
they no longer want to see posts from a company‟s
page. While 19% simply ignore the posts, 38% remove
them from their wall and 43% actually go ahead and
„unlike‟ the page.
Although the above information appears worrying, we do know
that it is not possible for marketers to please everyone all the
time. For most social media marketers, the challenge is to
keep their customers from ‟saying goodbye‟, at the same time
not getting too overwhelmed by the „butterfly‟ behavior. Here
are some obvious, while easy-to-fix, reasons why your fans are
unfollowing or unfriending your brand:
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2. Stop Spamming Them:
Customers and visitors to your company‟s social media page are often subject to „brand fatigue‟, which is the
outcome of overwhelming them with more information/messages than they can assimilate. According to a
research by DDB Paris and OpinionWay, 36% of the respondents admitted to „unliking‟ a brand because they felt
they heard from them too often. This brings us to the question of „how can brands achieve that right balance
between posting too much and posting too little?‟
Stay Real:
To avoid annoying your customers and fans, it is important to keep in mind the basic principle of the brand-
customer online relationship; the actual message that you want to convey is more important than how
many times you post or retweet it. Therefore, it is crucial for online marketers to design their social media
marketing messages in such a way that they have maximum impact, without having to frequently remind users
what their company or product is all about. After all, social media marketing is more about adding value to
your brand and not so much about simply filling in the space.
If You Don’t Know, Then Ask:
It is not always possible for brands to get understand exactly what their fans want. In such cases it would be
best to ask them directly and get an idea of what they expect to hear from you. This not only increases
engagement, but also avoids spamming their timeline with unnecessary posts and tweets which may
eventually result in them unfollowing your brand.
Linking Twitter and Facebook Accounts? Not a
Wise Move:
While linking your Twitter account to your Facebook page
may save time, it will also increase the possibility of
annoying followers with information overload. A smart
marketer understands that his Twitter followers are
different from his Facebook users. Also, Twitter, being a
microblogging tool, can be used for frequent updates
when compared to Facebook, where users don‟t
appreciate being flooded with messages every time you
tweet something. Take the Vitaminwater brand for instance. Although their Twitter handle does include a link
to their Facebook page, what the company posts on Facebook is completely different from their Twitter
timeline; which means Vitaminwater smartly choose not to link the two. For followers who are also interested
in checking out the brand‟s Facebook page, there is always the option of clicking on the link provided.
Content Really Matters:
When it comes to online marketing, content is still the king. One of the reasons why fans may categorize a brand
as „too boring to follow‟ could be because of the uninteresting or repetitive content. Keeping the brand-customer
relationship fresh can be an uphill task for social media marketers. Recent research indicates that „uninteresting
information‟ was the #2 reason why consumers stopped following a brand. How can companies turn this around?
More Personal, Less Promotional:
It is no secret that brands get on to social media to promote their products. However, designing content that
resembles sales talk, while lacking personal touch, may discourage users from following your brand. When it
comes to marketing messages, the key is to be subtle. When building a brand‟s social media marketing
strategy, it is important to add that „humane‟ touch to your Facebook page or Twitter handle. Consumers will
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3. not just connect better with your brand, but will also want to check out the products and services being
offered.
Keep it Relevant:
The occasional „Merry Christmas‟ or „Happy Thanksgiving‟ messages are fine, provided you don‟t overdo them.
When people „friend‟ or „follow‟ a brand on a networking channel they expect to see relevant, company
related information and not a „this is such a pleasant morning‟ post. Posting content that strays too far from
your domain may be a tad unprofessional. After all, that was not the reason why people „liked‟ your brand or
„followed‟ you in the first place.
Include Visuals:
No matter how informative and relevant the content is,
the absence of images can render your social media page
dull, thereby increasing the possibility of driving the users
away. A smart online marketer knows that content isn‟t
just about text anymore. Also, users‟ shortening attention
spans mean brands need to include visuals to keep the
boredom factor at bay and hold their consumers‟
attention. One example that comes to mind when talking
about brands that have creatively included visuals in their
social media page(s) is L‟Oreal. Besides being highly
engaged and including informative content, the company‟s
Facebook page is a visual treat.
Not Enough Offers and Deals:
A recent eMarketer study shows that when people „like‟ a
brand on Facebook, they automatically expect to receive
offers and discounts through the networking channel. While 58% respondents anticipated access to exclusive
events and sales, an equal percentage of fans expected to receive discounts and promotions. Meanwhile, research
by IBM revealed that receiving discounts was one of the top two reasons why consumers interacted with
companies on social networks. While 61% of the respondents looked forward to discounts, 55% said that they
engaged with brands to make purchases. In most cases, customers have no reservations about admitting to „liking‟
a brand on Facebook, just to take advantage of a one-time offer.
The Thin Line Between Too Much and Too Little:
While relevant content and regular updates are crucial for retaining customers, enticing them with special
offers, deals-of-the-day, etc is just as essential to keep users from unfollowing or unfriending your brand.
However, there is a thin line between spamming users with an overload of offers and not offering enough
discounts and deals. Our advice? Understand your customers and find out what they expect. Is deal-of-the-day
their thing, or do they expect seasonal specials? This discounts and deals formula almost always
works…provided you know what your customer wants.
Customers Need Incentives:
The Redbox Facebook page rewards fans
with a free one-night rental for „liking‟
their page. Currently, the movies and
games rental company‟s fan page boasts
+3,600,000 likes; now that‟s something!
What is Redbox‟s formula for success?
Customers need incentives; otherwise
they know that they‟re simply being a
part of the brand‟s marketing strategy
without receiving anything in return. This
means they wouldn‟t hesitate from
clicking on that „unfriend‟ button before
checking out the competitor‟s Facebook
page for coupons and offers. The Red Box
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4. formula is quite simple really; after all, why would visitors to their page pass-up the chance to watch the
latest blockbuster for free?
When Brands Go Silent:
There are many cases where a company creates a Facebook page, jumps on to the Twitter bandwagon with great
enthusiasm, and then goes silent. Fans and followers interpret this silence as „the brand does not want to connect
with their customers‟ and subsequently decide to unfriend the brand. Here‟s how lack of communication can
impact a brand‟s followers:
Unresponsiveness:
While some brands have a completely inactive social media presence, there are others that choose to remain
unresponsive to customer queries. This monologue means sooner or later frustrated users decide to distance
themselves from the brand. According to a recent report by Econsultancy, companies only respond to 5% of all
their Wall postings on an average. When Sony‟s account was hacked for the first time, the CEO addressed fans
and expressed his regret. However, as the hacks and breaches continued, the company unwisely decided to
remain silent. Sony users, who expected the company to communicate with them, were unhappy with the
silent treatment. One of the best ways to prevent fans and followers from leaving is to interact; because
being social is all about talking to your fans, responding to their queries and engaging in dialogue. You
wouldn‟t want your fans to think you‟re too busy to respond, would you?
The Disappearing Act:
Why do some Facebook and Twitter accounts resemble a social media ghost town? Even as some brands push
too much promotional material and information, the others have little to say. This disappearing act not only
impacts the follower count, but also discourages first-time visitors from clicking on the „follow‟ option. Lack
of time and not enough content are among the most common reasons for brands to give-up on their social
media efforts. Also, the incorrect notion that simply creating a Facebook or a Twitter account will
immediately fatten up the bank balance discourages marketers when this does not happen. Our suggestion? Be
patient and persistent, your fans will show up, and most importantly, stay.
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5. Conclusion
While it is tough to zero-in on one specific reason why previously enthusiastic users decide to unfriend brands on
social media, our research points to a few important causes that drive followers and fans away. Most social media
marketers are under a lot of pressure to win over users and convert them to fans and followers. This translates into an
overdose of retweets and promotional content, which leaves the social consumer tired and confused. When users‟
Facebook pages and Twitter timelines get crammed with spam, what they will do next is predictable…click on the
„unfriend‟ option. Although there isn‟t a magical solution to retain fans, we believe asking them what they expect
from you is a great first step. This could include everything from discount expectations to reasons for „liking‟ or
„following‟ a brand. This, in our opinion, is a mutually beneficial marketing strategy; the fans get what they want, and
for brands, the possibility of losing loyal followers greatly reduces.
That said, the „like-me-to-know-more‟ option is a smart way to gain visibility; however, there‟s a flipside to this. A
smart marketer understands that some people like to first check-out the brand‟s social media page before deciding to
either „like‟ it or „follow‟ it. Asking people to „like‟ a page, irrespective of what they actually feel about your brand
may temporarily add to the fan following, only to see them leave just as fast. Our advice? Let your consumers decide,
entice them with too-good-to-pass-up offers and most importantly, talk to them. Just as social media users don‟t
appreciate too much sales talk and irrelevant messages, they won‟t be too happy to be given the silent treatment.
Although it is does not make sense to worry about the occasional follower lost or celebrate every friend added, the
process of converting these ‟social media butterflies‟ to loyal followers is quite simple actually. A little less spam, a
little more content and engagement, and lots of time spent in understanding your customers will go a long way
towards cementing the brand-customer relationship.
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6. About Position2
Position2 is a Search and Social Media Marketing firm that delivers continuous growth for our clients using our
proprietary “Surround and Intent” Marketing Methodology, delivered by our products. Our proprietary methodology is
a result of years of experience in working with diverse clients to deliver customer acquisition goals through search
engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing (SMM), and Pay Per Click (PPC) and online media advertising.
Position2 was founded in 2006 with funding from Accel Venture Partners, and has offices in Palo Alto, Bangalore and
Mumbai. Position2 is a certified agency with Google, Yahoo, Bing and is also part of the Google Adwords advisory
council.
Position2's flagship product is Position2 Brand MonitorTM, a platform that allows users to listen, discover and engage
with social media conversations in real time. With a team of over 100 professionals, Position2 also provides expertise
in online marketing solutions: SEO, PPC, Media and Advertising.
Position2 works with leading global brands:
This article is also available on the Position2 Blog: http://blog.position2.com.
For more information, visit http://brandmonitor.position2.com or email info@position2.com.
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