Stop! Don't Buy Facebook Fans Until You've Read This!
With every marketing development, you'll find some people whom try to "fake" it rather than make it. Particularly with the internet, whether it's link exchanges, three way linking, or Facebook fans they'll always be people willing to pay rather than work to get the results they want.
Whilst I would agree that "faking it" can sometimes be part of a path to "making it." Fake Facebook fan's isn't one of those situations.
Now, don't get me wrong - it costs time and money to make it, and buying your way to get results is a great idea to speed up your progress if you have the resources. However, you ought to spend your money wisely.
The distinction between real Facebook fans and fake Facebook fans
Now, let me clear things up somewhat - there is a difference between real Facebook fans and fake Facebook fans. The distinction is that some sites sell Facebook fans from profiles that aren't actively used by people - and perhaps, more importantly don't have any genuine friends. A legitimate provider, on the other hand would sell you genuine fans - whether through opt in, or opt out.
Facebook Fans - The Distinctions
Let's clear up the possible ways in which a given product or service can obtain Facebook fans, or perhaps, more accurately Facebook likes:
Opt In - A user decides that they wish to become a Facebook fan of a given application.
So, for example, a user may find via search, virally or advertisement the opportunity to become a Facebook fan of a given product or service. The user identifies with that product or service and so "likes" it.
Opt Out - A user is given the opportunity to opt out of becoming a Facebook fan when they are required to make another action to proceed.
To illustrate this example, the Facebook desktop app "Chit Chat" lets people login to Facebook chat. It then provides an option box that is checked offering people to "like" Chit Chat.
Using Opt Out, more people will like the application than opting in within the same disclosure screen.
Black Hat - A user is forced into becoming a Facebook fan with no choice in the matter, or alternatively a profile is setup with the specific intention of becoming a fan of a specific Facebook page.
The former method could result in traffic from a users friends byway of referral, the latter method will only serve to inflate Facebook fan numbers. However, the act of inflating the quantity of people that currently like the page could serve to provide credibility to potential cliental.
All three methods can be done "internally" or outsourced to a contractor to implement for you. However, it's important that you specify how you want your Facebook fans to be created.
Conclusion on Buying Facebook Fans or Facebook Likes
There are three main ways in which one can gain Facebook fans for a given product or service: opt in, opt out and black-hat.
The method utilized will depend on your objective. However, when using a "black hat" methodology likes from real Facebook accounts are better than those from accounts created solely for the purpose of Facebook likes.
