Not every blog owner understands the effect of a Blogger URL change, in FaceBook - and the resulting popularity of the blog.
I am planning on changing my blog name and redirecting my blogger blog to a custom domain. Why would that affect my Facebook followers?
A Blogger URL change won't affect your FaceBook Followers directly. Your existing Followers can continue to Follow your blog, under the BlogSpot URL - and under the custom domain URL - as it is Liked, and shared, in FaceBook.
The Likes count affects the possibility of a share, of a post in your blog, to attract new Followers.
URL changes, as permitted and provided by Blogger and / or FaceBook, are easy enough to make.
If you change the URL of the blog, when it's later shared in FaceBook, you will have a different blog. If you redirect your Blogger blog to a properly setup custom domain, you will have a blog that is shared under a different URL - and you'll have a new Likes counter.
A Like will be counted against the URL of the post that is Liked.
If someone Likes your blog in FaceBook, the Like will be counted against the URL used to address the blog, in the FaceBook post being shared.
You can either count your Likes under the current BlogSpot URL - or the new URL. Just choose the URL that's used, when it's shared.
If you publicise the blog, in FaceBook, using the current BlogSpot URL, the Like will be applied against that URL. This will not contribute to popularity of the custom domain URL - and the new blog identity. The custom domain will get no Likes - and the blog will continue to be seen, in Facebook, under the BlogSpot URL.
If you publicise the blog, in FaceBook, using the custom domain URL, the Like will be applied against the custom domain URL. The blog will not benefit from popularity of the BlogSpot URL - and the current blog identity. The BlogSpot URL will get no Likes - and the blog will be seen, in Facebook, under the custom domain URL.
You are allowed to change the blog URL, by both Blogger and FaceBook.
You are allowed to change the URL of the blog, in Blogger. You can change the BlogSpot URL, to a different BlogSpot name. You can change the domain URL, to a custom domain. You can change both the BlogSpot and domain URLs, if you wish.
Either way you change the URL, you will end up with a different URL, when shared in FaceBook. And with your posts shared using a different URL, you will have Likes counted using a different counter. This isn't a question of what FaceBook lets you do - it's a question of how they count the Likes, that apply to your blog.
You will need to move forward, using your new custom domain URL, and starting with 0 Likes - or stay where you are, using the current BlogSpot URL, and continuing with the current Likes counter. FaceBook will let you do either. They just won't be able to help you do both, at the same time.
This is really just one more detail, in re indexing a blog, after a URL change.
If you change the URL of a #Blogger blog, #FaceBook popularity will be affected. You (or any reader) can share the blog using either the current or new URL - and any Likes received for a share will apply to the URL used.
The blog will appear under two (or more) different URLs - a known effect of republishing.
As both custom domain publishing, and social sharing networks, become normal with many blogs, we see anguish when blog owners change the URLs of their blogs, without planning for the effects of the change.
What happened to my Likes?
This blog owner - and many others - do not realise that FaceBook counts Likes, based on the URL, not the blog.
FaceBook Likes, and Google+ +1s, are counted by URL - and are not controlled by DNS redirection, or simple name changes. If you rename your blog, you get a new URL with a new popularity counter, in FaceBook and Google+.
Some social sharing services allow for URL changes.
BlogLovin lets you transfer Followers from one URL to another.
BlogLovin, for instance, provides for transfer of Followers, to a new URL - as long as the blog owner owns both the old and new URL.
First, make sure that you've claimed both of your blogs.
Once both blogs are claimed, navigate to "My blog" and select the "Edit Blog Info" option next to your original blog.
From the "Move Followers" dropdown menu, select the blog you'd like to move your followers to and click "Move". This will remove your original blog and move your followers to your new blog of choice.
Start from any BlogLovin page.
Select "Blog analytics" from the drop down menu.
Click "Edit blog info".
Select a blog, from the drop down blog menu, in the "Edit blog info" wizard - and click on "Move Followers".
Whether you have a blog with a new URL, or a blog with multiple feeds and groups of Followers, BlogLovin lets you consolidate / move Followers so you can address your Followers, conveniently.
Blogger Followers stay with the blog, automatically.
With a Blogger blog, and Blogger Following / Google Friend Connect, your Followers Follow the blog - not the URL. You can rename the blog, and change the URL - but as long as you don't change the BlogID, your Followers remain with your blog.
FaceBook and Google+ give you a new counter, for each URL.
Neither FaceBook or Google+ provide a similar option. To both FaceBook and Google+, if you change the URL of the blog, you have a new blog. Google+ Followers - unlike Blogger Followers - Follow the URL.
With custom domain publishing, and the BlogSpot to domain redirect, the attention of your Followers may end up on your redirected blog - but the +1 counter and Followers community, that was based on the BlogSpot URL, stays with the BlogSpot URL. With the blog published to the domain, your blog gets a counter and community for the domain URL - and starts over.
With a BlogSpot to BlogSpot URL change, and a domain to BlogSpot URL change, everything starts over.
FaceBook Likes are counted, within FaceBook - and Google+ +1s are counted, within Google+. Both are based on the URL of the blog which accrues the Likes and +1s. If you change the URL of the blog, you get a new counter - and a new Followers community.
A URL change is effective for different changes, to a Blogger blog.
- BlogSpot to BlogSpot name change.
- BlogSpot to custom domain republishing.
- Custom domain to custom domain change.
- Custom domain to BlogSpot republishing.
All of these are URL changes - and are treated as a different blog, for most social sharing services.
BlogLovin supports URL changes. Neither FaceBook, Google+, or LinkedIn provides this ability. You change the URL, you start over with +1 / Like count, Followers community, and sharing reputation.
With most social sharing services, if you change the URL of a #Blogger blog, you start over accumulating +1s, Followers, and Likes. BlogLovin appears to be alone, in letting you transfer Followers from one blog to another - if you create a new blog, or change the URL of an existing blog.
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