Facebook Top Fan Badge: What is it for?

Recently, a lot of users here and there on Facebook have been spotted sporting the diamond “Top Fan” badge. Aside from having something that seems pretty cool next to the user’s name, what does it all mean really and what benefits does it have?

Facebook first mentioned the Top Fan badge in a press release in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the feature fully rolled out to everyone. The social networking platform describes the Top Fan feature as a badge awarded to users who are the most active on a Page. It’s easier than it sounds, but it requires intensive participation and activity from the user to acquire one.

How does one get the badge, exactly? Facebook has no precise, clear guidelines on how to get the badge, but it does require the user to:

• Watch the Page’s videos
• Liking or reacting to content
• Commenting or sharing posts

Again, it’s not enough for a user to do those things only once in a while. Facebook states that users are eligible for the badge if they are intensively active on a Page. Although, do take note that not all Pages are eligible to have a top fan badge for their followers. The platform states that for a Page to have the top fan feature, they must have:

• The video template for Pages
• Have more than 10,000 followers
• Are at least 28 days old
• Aren’t using the civic engagement badge

If a Page meets the mentioned criteria, they will then be eligible for the top fan feature and will have access to enable or disable the badge from their Page. Admins of Pages also have the right to remove badges from specific individuals at any given time, or even shut off the top fan badges feature. Not only that, but a user can also lose the badge and the status they’ve acquired if they didn’t interact with the Page for a week or so, as the Top Fans Page in the Community section of the Page is updated weekly.

Having a top fan badge these days on Pages is something that users are proud to show off, as it displays how interactive they are with the Page. But really, underneath all the “I’m a Top Fan!” celebrations, is there a benefit to having the badge? And in turn, is there an advantage to the Pages/Brands that have numerous users who acquired the badge?

For the most part, it depends.

For users, there honestly isn’t much of an advantage. The badge may be an aid in getting them recognized by fellow users or by the Page, and mayhaps even give them a level of satisfaction that they have a status others don’t have.

On the other hand, the badges can be useful for brands in the way it can help them identify the users who actively engage with their brand. Branching from that, brands can also create content customized for their top fans. It could range from anything, such as a message of gratitude, or reward them with exclusive merchandise, freebies, and the like. The top fans community can also be utilized as a focus group and help brands improve further by reaching out and hearing from their consumers.

However, unless the brand acts on it and maximizes the full potential of engaging with their top fans, there won’t be many benefits for them either. They could have all the top fans in their community and still end up with their reach stagnant and limited.

All in all, it takes engagement from both sides to see the benefits and advantages of having top fans. If brands and pages recognize its top fans by giving them rewards, more audiences will be encouraged to become a top fan of the page. That, in turn, will allow brands to have a better, extensive audience reach, and help them with improving their content.

Are you a top fan of certain Pages? How do you feel about it? Let us know in the comments!