Hello All,

I am a member of a few “like exchanges” but the one here on SME is by far the largest. This is great but considering the amount of people participating, I feel there’s need to be some clarification offered. I recently read a post from an SME user suggesting that you visit each page and post a message on the company’s timeline stating that you’ve liked the page and if you can return the favor. Though it obviously works, this is not what like exchanges are about. 

Like exchanges are kind of like a secret society. Even when the society is as large as SME’s. Though we are all here to help each other and this forum is open to anyone, letting outside users know about like exchanges decreases the value of interest they may have in your page. Most people don’t even know what a like exchange is, but if SME users continue posting about it on all these pages, a noticeable trend will begin to form. 

The content and messages on our pages should be relevant to our industry or whatever topic you’ve decided works for you on your social media outlets. Messages from followers should normally be questions, referrals, reviews and things of that nature. When followers start noticing that you continuously receive messages on your page saying “Hi, found you on SME, please like me back” it starts to raise red flags for your users. 

Recently, a lot of SME users are not even liking other pages from their profile page. Lately, I’ve noticed that most likes from the “like exchange” are coming in from the pages instead of the users. Though there is a benefit to liking other pages as your page (a topic for another post), the numbers of your likes does not increase. This has been stated and over-clarified numerous times on SME but I continue to see users like pages as their own page and not as their own profile. Then you are returning to SME and posting that you’ve liked all the pages. I understand that liking a page as a page will show in the page’s notifications and therefore broaden the exposure your own page gets. But what’s the point of a like exchange if your likes are not increasing?

There are many of us on SME. Most are social media managers that manage multiple pages or simply users interested in social media for their business. Due to this new trend forming on SME, I find myself having to remove the same message from the same users over and over from the pages I manage. 

In my opinion this is how the like exchange should be used:1. Find pages on SME and like them.2. That’s it!

I’ve never been a part of a like exchange that required so many extra curricular activities to go along with pressing the like button.

If you feel the need to message the user that you’ve liked their page, then do so on SME. We can all private message each other. Even though I’ve noticed that plenty of you respond to the like exchange thanking users and ALWAYS post your page as part of your message. Like if it was your signature. This is almost like spamming SME. 

Post your page once on the like exchange and allow the users on SME to catch up and go through the pages. 

Like exchanges have been around for a very long time and usually the members are users that manage multiple pages for different clients. I completely understand the excitement a newbie social media SME user feels when they realize there is over 6 thousand people that could potentially like your page via SME. Just remember, you don’t all your likes coming from one place. Especially those of you that have pages with 10 and 15 followers. You want organic likes to come in gradually as well. 

Please keep this in mind going forward. and please give me some feedback. I noticed a post earlier where an SME user is complaining that other SME users are posting deals on her page from their own page. These practices are exactly what we are trying to stay away from oand help users become more savvy about on SME.

I hope I haven’t offended anyone who has been utilizing the techniques I am complaining about. Every aspect of social media has a learning curve and eagerness for your business to succeed within it is not a problem. It’s a few of the methods being used that could be problematic in the long run. I believe we can all help make our like exchange work much more smoothly if we all cooperate. 

Thank you for your time.

Thanks, @kathleenrollins! I hope everyone takes the time to read through this post.

@jamesalonso, you make a great point. That is one reason I have steered clear of the “ladders”. I am going through and liking the pages but not posting where I found them. If something does catch my eye though I will comment as a fan should.

Agreed, @lorithueme.

Thanks, @juleswebb!

@jamesalonso  my sentiments exactly. The company who’s pages I am managing must wonder what is going on.
Kathy

@jamesalonso Good post. I wrote on the original thread that I’d just like the pages that are interesting to me and expect nothing in return, and also requested that people like my page if it’s genuinely interesting to them and expect nothing in return. Nevertheless today I’ve had to delete a post from my page’s wall mentioning SME and their own page!

Thank you for your comments @annfurnival @bajabybus.

@jenniferlentz My pleasure. 

Thanks, @carlagoddard. If users would just like the page as themselves and use SME as the communication portal to let users know, that would be perfect. I still believe the like exchange should be simple. Post your page on SME’s “like Exchange” thread and then have users like the page. This would make it a lot easier on all of us and would require much less monitoring and deleting of posts. 

@hildaalanisgonzalez Like exchanges require NO posts or messages. We are already here on SME and the information we need is available here. It is not required for someone to like you back, so posting on their page or messaging them is an extra step that someone suggested on SME but it isn’t a good practice. Like I mentioned before, like exchanges are a secret society. Ideally, every page should be liked by all of us but nothing should be expected in return. When you like a page, the admins receive a message letting them know. There’s no need to post on their page as well. 
I think we all need to get away from this messaging trend. Simply like the pages and move on. It’s simple, quick and easy. 

@hildaalanisgonzalez Thanks again. Messages to pages are private.

Good. Thanks.

Quite right….

@jamesalonso very good advice. I am so glad you shared that with us.