There was a time (as recently as early 2012) when fan count was the gold standard against which brands measured success on Facebook. More fans lead to more reach, which lead to more engagement, which ultimately lead to an overall lift in brand awareness and (hopefully) affinity, sales, revenue, etc.. And all of that was free, beyond the initial acquisition of fans, which, in the in the early days, could be done in bulk and for cheap, depending on how flexible a brand was willing to be…