How to Get Lost Facebook 'Likes' Back Facebook has cleared out inactive or fraudulent accounts, which means 'like' counts have dropped. Here's how to build yours back up.

If you've noticed a dramatic drop in followers to your Facebook business page recently, you're not alone.

In an effort to offer more value, Facebook has gone through its enormous user database to delete any and all fraudulent or inactive accounts.

Of course, this is good news in the end. "Likes" from fake accounts may make your Facebook business page look popular or well-liked, but when it comes down to engaging with real people, the numbers don't add up. Social media can often be a bit of a popularity contest (surprise, surprise) and losing upwards of five percent of followers in a day definitely has its downside.

Fortunately, there are some tactics that business owners can employ to turn these figures around and engage fans who will be real, living, breathing people with an interest in whatever it is you're offering.

Add 'Page Plugin' to your business website

Facebook recently announced the social network's new-and-improved "Page Plugin" that enables users to easily embed and promote their Facebook business page on any website. Certainly, getting your target audience to your website, where they will be able to browse products and make transactions, is obviously the end goal, but Facebook is a crucial component to tie into overall marketing efforts.

Facebook is more than just an avenue to promote what you're selling and direct users to your official website. It's a place for fans to connect with one another, ask questions, provide feedback, and more. The new Page Plugin enables users to like and share your Facebook Page with friends without ever having to leave your website.

Host a contest

By now, we all know that word of mouth is the best form of promotion. Why shout your brand's worth from the mountaintops when your loyal admirers can just as easily do it for you, and with more credibility? Contests are a great way to increase your Facebook fan count while getting your brand's name in front of an audience through your biggest advocates, your fans.

Whether it is a photo contest showing off your latest product or sharing their favorite experience with your brand in comments to redeem a prize, contests are a great way to encourage consumers to promote your brand.

Advertise

While Facebook has traditionally been seen as a free form of self promotion for businesses large and small, the social network's algorithm change this past winter made organic reach harder to come by for business users.

In an attempt to crack down on overly promotional content, Facebook eliminated self-serving language and messages from users' News Feeds. What does that mean for business owners? To continue reaching your target audiences, you must either step it up in terms of content or consider allocating a budget for Facebook advertising, even if it is just a small one to start.

Fortunately, there are products and tools in the market today that are making advertising on Facebook simple. With user-friendly templates and designs, simplified targeting and ad performance analytics, creating and running successful Facebook ad campaigns has never been easier.

Although Facebook fans may be on a downward curve, it's only temporary. These fixes can help you restore not only your follower count, but also your faith in the social platform as a powerful business promotion tool.