The newest trend in business marketing is the ‘like’ system, provided by the social media giant, Facebook. What does a ‘like’ really get you? Using ‘like’ is similar to creating a mailing list. When someone clicks the button, their name is added to a fan grouping that you can use for advertising purposes. A ‘like’ will also increase the “word of mouth” potential for a company or website.

It is not hard to see why companies are trying to come up with new and improved mousetraps to get Facebook fans. Just like any advertising scheme, not all ideas work. Let’s take a look at a few of the less ingenious programs designed to get you ‘liked.’

Popup Messages
This campaign involves a message coded into the loading script of a website, blog or feature. When users go to open a site, the background goes darks and a small popup message appears asking them to ‘like’ the page on Facebook. Visitors must either click the button to ‘like’ the page or close the popup to continue on to the website. This trick is more annoying than it is effective. In general, the bullying approach to advertising will not get you liked.

Suggest to Friends
Facebook offers a marketing tool to increase your fan base. The ‘Suggest to Friends’ option allows you to send a notice to everyone on your friends list to like your page. This is annoying, as well, but much easier to ignore than popup messages. That in itself is a problem. This is passive-aggressive marketing. People with hundreds of friends on Facebook probably get one of these notices every day and they can’t ‘like’ them all. After a while, the alerts get ignored. People want to make choices for themselves and are not likely to join up with every notice.

Buying Fans
There is nothing wrong with budgeting for advertising but buying Facebook fans is not cost-effective. You may get more likes with a paid campaign but you don’t know who is doing the clicking. The company you are paying may have dummy accounts or you might be getting likes from users overseas that will never be anywhere near your business. The purpose of going viral on Facebook is to increase traffic for your company or website. Unless you are International, paying for likes is not going to help much.

Sweepstakes
It seems like a good idea, and at one point it probably was, but now sweepstakes are just overdone. It is the too much of a good thing rebound effect. Companies all over the Internet are having drawings for some tiny prize and all a user has to do is keep hitting the ‘like’ button. Distinctive is always better, and sweepstakes do not stand out enough to get noticed any longer.

Extended Permissions
This is anything that requires Facebook to allow permission for a user’s page, for example, a login tool. When the alert pops up to allow permissions, there is a knee jerk reaction to close it. Your customers will get nervous about giving you an open door to their personal information. You might get an automatic ‘like’ from this customer every time they log in using Facebook but many will feel uncomfortable with the process.

At this point, the smart reader is asking what will work to get more Facebook fans. Good old fashion patience, service and hard work. If you offer a memorable service, worthwhile product or compelling website eventually you will develop a following. In the beginning stages of Facebook promotions, some of the get fans quick schemes may have been effective, but not so much anymore. Facebook users are becoming more discerning about their ‘likes.’

Give-a-ways and promotions that require you to like a page can help. Most people will jump at the chance to get a free copy of a book or discount on an order. They might be willing to hit the like button if it gets them something.

Blogging regularly with the ‘like’ option is viable, as well. If you post to a blog about subjects the interest your readers, they will pay your back by liking each post. Combining a blog with a page feed will keep them focused on the fact that you maintain a presence on Facebook.

With any form of advertising, slow and persistent is going to get you lifelong customers and fans. Fast and dirty marketing may get a few initial clicks, but the interest will flame out. Take your time, set up an effective campaign and stick to it.

This guest post is by Edwin who regularly writes about celebrities, TV, and movies for the Celebutaunt blog on USDish.