You’ve probably seen it before: you see an article or a video on Facebook that a friend liked or shared, and it peeks your interest, and you want to check it out. You go click on the link and before you can view the content, you’re hit with a message: “Like this page to see ‘Top 10 Game of Thrones Moments’”.
Yes, this content comes at a cost. You have to like the page and let this website drown your Facebook feed in order to view the content. This is what is referred to as “like-gating”.
Facebook defines like-gating as: “when you force a Facebook user who has not already liked your Page to like your Page before they can see content on a particular custom tab.”
Fortunately for users, Facebook’s most recent policy change put an end to the like-gating strategy. Facebook’s new policy states that: “You must not incentivize people to use social plugins or to like a Page.”
This change will make it more difficult for some Facebook page owners to gain likes. But just like in search engine optimization, quality content will keep people coming back for more. Just like your website, if your Facebook page has a lot to offer, users will come back voluntarily.