Buying Facebook Likes. It Happens. A lot.

It’s just like anything else in life really. Anything can just about be bought for the right price. And buying Facebook Likes is no different. Chances are you’ve visited plenty of Facebook pages of companies or organizations that have done so. This post isn’t meant to judge anyone for doing so. It’s meant to shed some light on the practice and why anyone would do it.

The real currency online is trust and credibility, both of which are earned…no shortcuts. But when a company/organization launches a new website, Facebook page, etc., it’s usually a ghost town out of the gate. Imagine launching your new products, taking the covers off your fresh newly designed Facebook page and no one is there. What happens when the first few folks come to your page and see that no one likes the page? That exact scenario is what has some buying Facebook Likes. The idea of instant credibility by giving off the perception of a page that is liked by others instantly. It’s a tempting practice. Especially when you consider the cost.

$5.

Yep, $5 is all it costs to boost your Facebook page instantly by hundreds, sometimes thousands of Facebook Likes within a day or two. Sometimes within a few hours. If you check the marketing section over at Fiverr.com you’ll find hundreds of offers to buy Facebook Likes, Twitter Followers, YouTube Views, etc. In addition there are plenty of offers across the web that will do the same. It’s quick, painless, and incredibly easy and affordable. And completely ineffective.

I’ve actually had a couple clients who have come to me having done this, and every single one of them gained nothing from it. In fact, some over shot too much and got hurt from it as even to a novice user, seeing 10,000+ fans of a page, and no engagement whatsoever, is an immediate red flag. If anything you’ve hurt yourself more by losing trust with folks right out of the gate.

Resist the urge. Throw a couple hundred dollars at a Facebook ad campaign instead. It will cost more, but you’ll get real people that might actually care about what you have to say.