If I were my own client, I would still debate this.

Working in social media marketing, you spend a lot more time on the social networks than the average person does (1.72 hours per day, according to Adweek). You become a little disillusioned. When a network has reached a user base of 930 million active daily users (Facebook), you would think that tools would be created to help make marketers better at their jobs. When marketers are better at their jobs, they pay for ads, thus Facebook gets paid. Unfortunately, we see every bug (issue) there is & then some.

(EDIT: I’ve since decided to start one, like me here!)

Last year, the conversation surrounding Facebook was how organic reach would bottom out. Organic reach, for marketing, is defined as any non-paid content that makes its way to the customer.

Every fan in your like count is the same as the next. Which means that if you ran a campaign asking for likes and bought 200 likes that were unworthy, then your page reach becomes diluted. Organically, let’s say you reach 200 people one one post: who are those 200 people? You don’t know. It could be anyone!

I’ve tried to explain the basics of the Facebook algorithm to clients before:

  • If a fan likes/comments/clicks on your photo, then they are more likely to see photos from you in their news feed, organically. Same goes for link posts & for text posts.

I’ve been debating on creating a page for a few reasons:

  • I work in social media. It feels strange if I don’t have one.
  • In the times that another brand posts about my work, I want to have a page linked to receive those referral clicks.
  • Additional SEO.

These are the reasons I don’t want to:

  • Building up a fan base through Facebook from zero is infinitely more difficult these days. If I invite every friend I have, that won’t be enough. Why? Not everyone will care about what I post, because they aren’t my target client base. No likes or comments -> no engagement -> dead Page.
  • Creating content. It’s another network to create content on. If I were my own client, I would recommend 3 times a week. Three posts a week to an audience that I don’t have feels like extra work.
  • What if I change from a freelancer to a new brand that I create for myself? What if I change my mind after that? Facebook rules say that after 200 likes, you can only change your Page name once.

This is a quote from one of the best break-up posts between Facebook & Eat24:

Even if we could figure out your mysterious, all-knowing algorithm, it’s constantly changing, so what works today might not work tomorrow. Posting something that most of our friends see is like biting into a burrito and actually getting all seven layers…never gonna happen. The point is, you’re wasting our time and cock-blocking food porn from our friends. Not cool, Facebook, not cool. – Eat24

Who do I think should have a Facebook page? Talking broad categories here: small businesses, large businesses, brick-and-mortar businesses, bloggers, online shops, publishers – okay, lots of places.

When reviewing networks with clients, I go over their intentions. What is the ultimate goal for tweeting? For a Facebook page? For Instagram? Not all of the networks are a perfect fit. And a Facebook page might not be fit for me.