Marketing online: Facebook limits likes

Using contests, giveaways and raffles for "likes" will be forbiden from 5th November.

The measure will take effect from 5th November. We won’t be able to use exclusive content or gifts in exchange for a "like" of a new user. We will be able to carry on with these promotional campaigns only among current fans. The measure seeks facebook pages to achieve growth in terms of fans through the delivery of quality content in an organic or natural way. Following this, users should become fans only of those brands they have a genuine interest in. Facebook argues that in this way quality content is enhanced.

Facebook has announced a change in its policy terms and it has given three months to online marketing professionals to meet the new standards. Again, facebook tries to constrain the use of a typical online marketing channel to attract new Facebook fans so as to benefit paid advertising, which is dangerously becoming the main and soon almost the only way to get new fans.

Another change, this time more sympathetic, is the possibility of using stickers or in our Facebook comments, very much in line with mobile apps such as messengers.