Facebook “likes” are the holy grail of social marketing these days. Everyone wants to gain more likes and they’re doing all kinds of wacky things to get noticed. Do you know the number one way to get liked on Facebook? The one strategy that really works?

Nope, not raffles

If you guessed “raffle off a free iPad” you’re wrong. Though everyone may want a free iPad (even if they already have one), you don’t want that kind of like. Why not? Sure a raffle may get you dozens or hundreds or thousands of likes. But they are not genuine likes. They are not sustainable likes. They do not represent the loyal following that you are ultimately trying to grow with social marketing.

Simply put, raffle likes are ingenuine.

The kinds of likes you want are genuine likes. Likes that are clicked on by people who appreciate your products, services, opinions, and content.

Create valuable content

The number one way to grow your Facebook likes is give your audience lots of things to like.  Here’s how.

Understand your customers

Learn their problems, their concerns, what makes them laugh. Are they into ironic humor or do they melt when they see cute kittens (or both)? Understanding your customers helps you create your Facebook “voice.” The better you know your audience, the easier it is to come up with comments, videos, polls, and links that they will appreciate, want to read, and, yes, like!

Be intriguing

If you run a store, snap a photo of your warehouse at 3AM and ask what you think is happening there. Learn about how people do what you do in other countries and comment about it. Show the inside of your most complicated product and comment about its “guts.” Give a behind the scenes tour at your office. Basically, show your audience things that will engage their curiosity.

Listen

Make your audience feel valued. Give them opportunities to provide suggestions, feedback, ideas and yes even complains. (Then respond to complaints to let everyone see you value that feedback and are making amends.) Let your customers feel like an important part of your organization. Because guess what? They are.