By Nicole Long

Your Facebook page is set up and you want to make it attract more “likes.” The most common way to do is to entice others to join by offering something in return. However, promising something and not delivering is just bad business. Promising something which you can’t deliver to get “likes” or more of them could backfire, especially when you know people are watching. They will want you to deliver, so watch what you offer.

For instance, Like us on Facebook and we will send you a “designer pen.” Or, like us on Facebook and we will send you a “2011 calendar for free,” or like us on Facebook and get free ____________________________.

Tantalizing as they seem, promising one thing and coming forward is another, right? Being a marketer and advertiser we fully understand these types of practices. However, the idea is getting more Facebook “likes” in theory. Before promising the moon you better make sure you don’t miss the mark.

One such company got dinged for advertising and not coming forward with whatever they were promising. The (NAD) National Advertising Division recommended “nicely” to discontinue (70%) of what they were claiming to not be true. They claimed substantial savings and “free” promotions and products to their customers. This is what happened, online supplier of contacts, (Coastal Contacts) offered promotions to people that came to their Facebook page, randomly sharing post such as this:

“Free glasses – save this page” and “70% savings on contacts” plus another promotion that they advertised was “a savings of over 70% on contacts for weekly use.” Lots of companies weren’t exactly pleased with this, especially 1-800-Contacts!

1-800-Contacts ended up filing a claim with (NAD), which in turn did a little investigation work. NAD decided that Coastal Contacts advertising was deceptive. Putting it another way they like to call it “ Like-Gating.” This means that it is misleading or a fake way of inflating the numbers of “Facebook” likes.

What this meant, was the ruling that came down was that Coastal Contacts needed to be more specific about their promotions and advertising. Customers were responsible for their shipping and handling, and that all glasses (styles) were not free. NAD also ruled that Coastal Contacts remove “said language” about promoting the “70%” off program, and that the 70% was only in relation to certain models, not the whole line of contacts that they sold.

Keep in mind that NAD really has no legal power to do any type of enforcing, but that doesn’t stop them from referring these types of companies that misrepresent false advertising. If the company involved doesn’t comply with the FTC standards, which carries a lot of weight in regards to these types of matters – NAD does also carry 95% compliance rate, so companies really need to tow the line, according to what Andrea Levine, a NAD senior vice president remarked.

Ms. Levine said that “Like-gating” is becoming a more and more popular strategy with marketers and advertisers. They want to entice customers with lots of free stuff, and other type promos and she stands behind the NAD’s decision on these policies.

This became apparent that what Ms. Levine was saying is that it was expressed to companies that they are getting an opportunity to stop practicing deceptive advertising and marketing and remove them. Removing these type of “Likes” from these companies websites is in the right direction. Wouldn’t companies soon start to realize that deceiving their customers isn’t a good feature with any business—word does spread like wildfire, right?

Truthful promotions are the key and offering discount, sweepstakes, and different other types of promotions are becoming popular and common amongst companies to bring more business in. This is a great way to get more business, but as I said, “don’t promote and deceive” the very people you want to come to your sites.

I agree with her. Is sending a red flag to these companies for false advertising and promising “fake stuff” just to get a small amount of “Likes” on Facebook really worth ruining your reputation? Ramifications will definitely happen if you aren’t honest and truthful when you do any type of false promotions or advertising.