As Facebook continues to dominate the social media landscape with nearly 3 billion monthly active users, savvy individuals and brands are always looking for ways to expand their reach and engage their audience on the platform. One powerful but often overlooked tool for growth is the Facebook follow button.
Added in 2011 as an alternative to the traditional "friend request" model, the follow button makes it easy for anyone to subscribe to your public posts and updates without the need for a mutual connection. As Facebook has shifted focus to prioritize "meaningful social interactions," this type of opt-in, one-way following has become increasingly valuable.
Consider these statistics:
- Profiles with the follow button enabled have an average of 5x more followers than those without (Facebook Insights, 2023)
- 35% of Facebook users say they follow a brand or business to stay up-to-date on company news and products (Sprout Social, 2024)
- The average Facebook user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events – offering huge potential for organic discovery (Facebook Newsroom, 2024)
Clearly, the follow button presents a major opportunity to build community and authority around your personal brand or business. In this ultimate guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know to implement and make the most of this feature in 2024 and beyond.
Understanding the Facebook Follow Button
What exactly is the follow button, and how does it work? In simple terms, the follow button allows a one-way connection where a user can see your public posts in their feed without being your friend.
Here‘s a quick comparison of following vs. friending on Facebook:
| Aspect | Following | Friending |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | One-way, user sees your posts | Mutual, you see each other‘s posts |
| Privacy | Only public posts are shared | Can choose to share friends-only content |
| Messaging | Not allowed between follower and followee | Can message each other privately |
| Feed ranking | Posts may be lower priority vs friends | Close friend posts prioritized in feed |
Helpful for professionals, influencers, journalists, or anyone seeking to build a public presence, the follow button essentially turns your profile into a Facebook Page lite with lower commitment and friction for your audience.
When you enable the follow button on your profile:
- Anyone on or off Facebook can follow you (depending on your settings)
- Followers see your public posts, photos, and activity in their News Feed
- Your follower count is displayed under your cover photo
- You retain full control of your posting privacy and don‘t have to share anything publicly
The follow button is only available on profiles for users aged 18+ and is accessible via the web version of Facebook, not the mobile app. Let‘s walk through how to enable it step-by-step.
How to Enable the Facebook Follow Button
Turning on the follow button is a quick two-step process in your account settings:
Set "Who can follow me" to Public: From your Settings menu, select "Public Posts" and under "Who Can Follow Me" choose "Public." This makes the follow button visible on your profile to everyone, with no need to send a request.
Restrict friend requests: Next, go to your Privacy settings, and next to "Who can send you friend requests" select "Friends of friends." This helps cut down on random stranger requests while still allowing people to follow you.
That‘s it! Visit your profile in an incognito browser window to confirm the follow button is now visible. It will appear in the right column of your intro card, just under your cover photo and friends list.
Note: If you don‘t see the "Public Posts" option in step 1, double check that your age on Facebook is listed as over 18. The follow button is not available on teen accounts.
Once the follow button is enabled, anyone who clicks it will instantly start seeing your public posts in their feed – no approval needed on your end. You can view a list of your followers anytime by clicking "Friends" on your profile and selecting the "Followers" tab.
Why the Follow Button is a Powerful Growth Tool
Now that you know how to enable the follow button, let‘s dive into why exactly it‘s such an effective strategy for building your audience on Facebook.
Garret Sloane, author of "The Facebook Follow Phenomenon" shares:
"In an era of declining organic reach and pay-to-play dominance, the follow button offers a unique way to connect with potential customers and fans in an authentic, permission-based way. By opting into your public content, followers are essentially raising their hand and saying ‘I‘m interested in hearing from you‘ – a powerful signal of intent."
Indeed, followers represent a highly engaged subset of your audience who have actively chosen to see your posts. This can lead to:
Increased visibility and reach: According to Facebook‘s Head of News Feed Adam Mosseri, "We prioritize posts from people you‘re closest to, which means people you follow and engage with frequently." The more followers you have, the more opportunities for your content to be seen and shared.
Social proof and authority: A high follower count serves as an instant credibility signal, positioning you as a trusted voice in your industry. This can open doors to media opportunities, partnerships, and customer leads.
Community building: Unlike the scattered approach of posting in groups or pages, the follow button allows you to gradually build a loyal community around your personal brand or business. You can create a sense of exclusivity and reward your most engaged followers with targeted content.
Audience insights: Facebook offers detailed analytics on your follower growth, demographics, and engagement over time. Understanding your audience breakdown can help you tailor your content strategy and even inform business decisions.
Perhaps most importantly, focusing on growing followers sets you up for long-term, sustainable success on the platform. While Facebook‘s algorithm and features constantly change, investing in your own audience offers stability and freedom to make an impact on your own terms.
Proven Strategies to Grow Your Facebook Followers
Of course, simply enabling the follow button won‘t magically bring in thousands of followers overnight. To build a thriving community, you need a proactive strategy to attract the right people and keep them engaged over time.
Here are some proven techniques to grow your Facebook following:
Post publicly: This may seem obvious, but it‘s essential to consistently publish content publicly for your followers to see and share. Each time you create a post, double check the privacy settings and select "Public" in the audience selector.
Optimize your profile: Think of your Facebook profile as a landing page for your personal brand. Use a clear headshot for your profile picture, a branded cover photo, and fill out your "About" section with relevant keywords and accomplishments. This helps people understand who you are and what value you offer when they discover your profile.
Leverage existing audiences: If you have an email list, YouTube channel, or following on other social networks, let them know you‘re now sharing exclusive content for followers on Facebook. Add a link to your Facebook profile in your email signature, cross-post content with a CTA to follow, and regularly promote your profile to drive traffic.
Collaborate and cross-promote: Look for opportunities to collaborate with other influencers or brands in your niche who have a complementary audience. Co-create content, host a joint livestream, or simply give each other shoutouts to expose your profile to new potential followers.
Run a followers campaign: Facebook allows you to create ads and sponsored posts to grow your followers, similar to a Page likes campaign. Use engaging visual content, a compelling CTA, and audience targeting to reach people most likely to be interested in your content.
Engage with your community: Finally, don‘t forget to nurture relationships with your existing followers. Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and create opportunities for two-way dialogue. The more you engage, the more your followers will feel invested in your brand.
Tamara McCleary, CEO of marketing agency Thulium sums it up perfectly:
"Growing a loyal following on any social platform comes down to one thing: delivering consistent value. Know your audience, know your unique selling proposition, and show up every day with a relentless commitment to serving your community. The right people will find you and stick around for the long haul."
Measuring Your Results: Key Metrics to Track
As with any social media strategy, tracking your performance over time is key to optimizing your approach and proving ROI. But which metrics actually matter when it comes to building a quality following on Facebook?
Start by keeping an eye on these data points:
- Total followers: Your top-line number of followers is the simplest way to track growth over time. Pay attention to major spikes or dips and analyze what might have caused them.
- Follower growth rate: Expressed as a percentage, your follower growth rate measures how quickly you‘re gaining new followers in a given period. Aim for steady, sustainable growth vs. temporary spikes.
- Engagement rate: Divide the number of likes, comments and shares your posts receive by your total number of followers to calculate your average engagement rate. 1-2% is considered strong.
- Reach: Track how many people your posts reach in the Friends of Followers category to gauge brand awareness. A high reach signals your content is being widely shared.
- Click-through rate: If you share links to your website or products, pay attention to how many followers are clicking and converting. A high CTR means your content is resonating and driving action.
Remember, follower count is ultimately a vanity metric. It‘s more important to focus on engagement and conversion – the true signs of a healthy community.
"The goal isn‘t just to be popular; it‘s to be effective," says Rachel Pedersen, Founder and CEO of The Viral Touch. "I‘d rather have 1,000 followers who regularly engage and buy from me than 100,000 who scroll right past my content. Dive deep into your analytics to understand who your true fans are and what they care about."
Putting it All Together
We‘ve covered a lot of ground in this guide, from the technical setup of your follow button to high-level growth strategies and metrics to measure. Now it‘s time to put your knowledge into action and start building your own thriving community on Facebook.
As a final reminder, here are the key takeaways:
The Facebook follow button allows anyone to subscribe to your public posts and updates without a friend request, providing an easy way to grow your audience.
Enabling the follow button requires setting "Who can follow me" to Public and restricting friend requests in your account settings.
Followers are a valuable, engaged audience who have opted-in to hear from you. Focus on providing them consistent value through your content.
Optimize your profile, post publicly, collaborate with others, and engage with your community to proactively grow your followers over time.
Measure your results by tracking key metrics like follower growth rate, engagement, reach and conversions. Aim for steady improvement, not just a vanity number.
In 2024 and beyond, organic social media growth is all about community building – going deep with a specific audience and earning their trust and loyalty.
The Facebook follow button is a powerful tool to do just that. So enable the button, put your unique voice out there, and start making an impact in your followers‘ lives. Your community is waiting for you!
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