Identifying your Target market on Facebook

The potential of Facebook to be able to help build your business or your brand is directly related to your ability to identify your target market. You can devote significant amounts of resources into publishing killer Facebook Apps and creating an awesome Facebook profile, yet see very little in the way of return on your marketing investment. Ultimately, you need to be able to reach specific people with your Facebook message. This isn't always easy, but it's necessary.

So, how do you go about identifying your target market on Facebook? Here are 10 ways you can interact with Facebook in order to identify and grow your target market on Facebook:

Start by updating your profile and page. Before you attempt to gain a single fan on Facebook, start with a timely and relevant profile and fan page. List all of the appropriate contact information for your company, including things like contact information and URLs. There's no sense in driving people to a Facebook presence that's only half-done, or that is going to turn them away. Friend industry leaders. This can be something of a challenge. When you attempt to add industry leaders as Facebook friends, include a personal note. Tell them how you're connected with them, whether you're a follower of their blog, or whether you saw them speak at a conference last summer. Get on the gurus radar, and they'll be one of your biggest sources of connecting with your target market. Over the long term, their network will slowly become your network. Look at your friends' and fans' friends. That's what social networking is all about. Chances are fairly good that some (though not all) of the friends of your followers will also be a part of your target market. Consider aiming some of your promotional efforts in that direction. Consider personal invites, in the same way that you might do with industry leaders. Utilize the power of groups. There are likely already groups out there that contain people from within your target market. Search for groups that relate to keywords in your niche, or other industry terms. If your business is primarily a local business, focus on groups relative to your geographic area. Search groups that are in related interest areas, as well. Join these groups, participate in their discussions, and make contacts with members of your target market. Create your own groups. In some cases, there may not already be visible or strong groups in your niche, or for your geographic area. Consider starting these groups, as you will then be the authority figure and generate a large number of contacts, too. Cross reference your own lists. You may have lead lists or contact lists for your business already. Find people from those lists on Facebook. Look for other associations, too. People you already do business with are not only in your target market, they are one of your most valuable resources for finding others on Facebook that are in your target market. Promote recommendations. Suggest too your Facebook Fans that they should recommend your page to others. Even something as simple as posting content that's likely to be shared will help draw in people from within your target market. Use interests. Facebook interests are another way of identifying your target market. If your business is providing home improvement services, find people on Facebook who have home improvement as an interest. Integrate your Facebook marketing into your overall marketing plan. You need to make sure that your Facebook strategies jive with the rest of your marketing efforts. Include your Facebook page on your marketing materials, and make sure that your existing customers know that you're on Facebook.

10. Make Facebook marketing a routine. Just spending a few minutes each day on your Facebook Marketing efforts will help you get to your target market. Updating your page with interesting or relevant information, for example, makes the page that much more appealing to your target market.

Reaching your target market with Facebook isn't always easy. In many cases you're going to have to work really hard at it. Depending on your niche, there might be a great deal of competition, as well.

Still, the potential is there. There are literally millions of potential customers on Facebook, all waiting to connect with you and to hear why it is that your business is the right one for them. Do everything you can to take advantage of that fact.

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