Bluepost Digital

Facebook was in the headlines last week after what appeared to be another hacking incident. This time founder Mark Zuckerburg’s fan page was targeted. Of course, the social network itself made no mention of the incident on its blog, but it did put up an interestingly timed post about its ‘continued commitment to security’.

One particular security measure mentioned in this post was picked up by London newspaper The Metro – that of ‘social authentication’. This is where a user is asked to prove their own identity by identifying pictures of their friends. Critics have been quick to highlight a key flaw in this plan, however… not everyone knows all of their Facebook ‘friends’ that well.

This led me to thinking about the much-discussed topic of ‘quality over quantity’ within social media. For many people, Facebook has been (and still is) a numbers game. As well as offering a convenient virtual meeting place for good friends, the platform can also end up hosting a catalogue of acquaintances that a user has collected over time, but doesn’t really want to interact with at all. This is an interesting situation for any social network to find itself in, as after all, interaction is their raison d’être.

Translating this into the world of business and social media, the ‘quality not quantity’ issue has even greater relevance. Of course there are times when the numbers really do count. There’s no doubt that the greater the reach of certain messages, the more chance there is that they will translate into action. But if all those likes, fans and friends are of a poor quality then you’re just relying on luck that the right people might eventually hear you.

Strong interaction is one of the best ways to get good quality users involved with your brand. It is as important – if not more so – as the follower numbers themselves. This is particularly true in the early days of a campaign when you want to build a loyal following and don’t want to feel as though you’re talking to a brick wall. It’s these gems of interaction that are the most likely to lead to happy customers. They also increase the chances of positive word-of-mouth promotion, so that your social networking account can grow organically and of its own merit.

This all boils down to a very simple message for anyone planning a new social media campaign or refreshing an existing strategy: make interaction the aim of your campaign. If you do it well, the numbers will follow naturally. Then you’ll find yourself enjoying the best of both worlds – quality and quantity – which is surely the Holy Grail for any social media marketer.