Social Networking: 10 Steps to Finding Your Target Market in Facebook

Everyone is talking about social networking, and many claim
social networking to be the panacea for all of your
marketing ills. Marketing on social networking sites like
Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter can help you increase the
size of your email list and help you grow your business.
The key to success with this strategy is making sure that
members of your target market are in your network.

Facebook is very strict and very particular about how its
participants contact each other. Facebook limits the number
of new invitations that can be sent in a given day or week.
The exact number is a Facebook secret and unknown to the
public, but if you exceed this secret amount you can get
booted from Facebook. However, I think if you stick with no
more than 10 per day, you will probably stay within their
limits. Secondly, you are permitted only 5000 friends in
Facebook, so if you’re successful in this strategy, you may
ultimately need to create a waiting list of friends.

How do you find your target market in Facebook? Whether
you’re an experienced social networker or just a newbie,
here are 10 secrets to growing your target market network
in Facebook:

1. Update-to-date profile and/or Fan page: Before you
begin a “friending” (i.e. request to become another’s
friend), be sure that your profile is up-to-date with an
accurate description of what you do, your interests, and
your contact info, including your web site URLs. If you
have multiple businesses, invite people in your appropriate
target market to become fans of your niche-specific fan
page.

2. Follow the gurus. Follow leaders in your
field/industry and “friend” them. Anytime you make a
friend request, include a personal note, as that will
increase the likelihood that they will accept your request.
Say something like, “I’m a big fan and have been on your
ezine/blog list for several years. I’d love to have you in
my network in Facebook.” Once they have accepted your
invitation, make comments about their status updates to
help you get on their radar and in front of their networks.

3. Friends of friends. Take a look at the people in the
network of your industry leaders, as they are probably part
of your target market as well, and send friend requests to
those of interest to you. When you friend someone that you
only know by association, send a personal note as well,
like “I discovered your profile in ‘s network
and would like to get to know you batter by adding you to
my network.”

4. Use groups. Look for groups that may contain your
target market. In your search for groups, use keywords
that describe your niche, your industry, your geographic
area, the interests of your target market, or whatever
other terms you might use to find members of your target
market. Join and begin to participate in the group so that
they begin to get to know you. Then peruse the member
lists for good prospects, sic as the members you’ve
connected with or have gotten to know. Since you won’t be
able to view the profiles of the group members because they
aren’t in your network, much of your decision-making about
whom to friend may be based upon appearance or how you
might be connected to them via other friends in your
network.

5. Check your own lists. Friend people that you already
know from your high school, college, alumni associations,
and places of employment if they fall within your target
market definition.

6. Facebook-recommended friends. Facebook typically
recommends friends based on your current friends list when
you log into your profile. I’ve found these recommendations
to be pretty solid. Take them up on their recommendation
and add those folks to your network.

7. Add by interest or industry. Do a people search by job
title, industry, geographic location, or interest. Those
people with those terms in their profile will show up in
your search, and you can request to add them based on
common interests.

8. Build the relationship. Once you friend someone, you
need to begin to get to know them and start them on the
like, know and trust journey so that you become their
top-of-mind expert in a particular area. Begin building the
relationship by posting a quick “thank you” note on their
wall, as well as a comment about something on their profile
that interests you or in which you have in common. Watch
for their status updates, as well, and comment on these
when appropriate.

9. Create a group. Once you’ve got about 500 followers,
create a group for your target market. Provide the group
with useful content and and ask questions to stimulate
discussion and get the members to return to participate in
the group. You can post articles, links to blog posts, or
videos you have created. Invite group members to any free
virtual or face-to-face events you’re hosting.

10. Integrate into your plan. No marketing strategy works
unless you consistently implement it over time. As a newbie
to Facebook, you might want to spend as much as 60 minutes
per day researching friends and participating in groups.
As your network grows, you many spend only 15 minutes 3
times per week on Facebook. The key to success is to put
this strategy on your calendar and make it a routine part
of your ongoing Internet marketing tasks.

While social networking is an inexpensive marketing tool
and can be effective in helping you grow your business,
maintain your other marketing strategies, as well, and
simply add this strategy to your marketing mix. A
well-rounded Internet marketing plan that includes social
networking and is implemented consistently will mean that
your prospect well will never run dry.

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Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps baby boomers
create profitable online retirement businesses by
demystifying the steps needed to successfully market a baby
boomer business online. Would you like to learn the
specific Internet marketing strategies that get results?
Discover how to increase your visibility and get found
online by claiming your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online
Marketing Toolkit, at ==> http://www.OnlineBizU.com

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Franchise marketing at its best