Social media from scratch, Part 1: Facebook

3.    Graph Search. Facebook's Graph Search is a great tool for learning more about your brand's audience. If don't yet have an audience, you can use it to learn more about the users who like pages based on products or services similar to your own. First find one or two Facebook pages of companies similar to your own. Then run a search for the pages their fans like. (Example: "Pages liked by people who like Financial Social Media.") Then search again to determine the favorite interests of this same group of people. (Example: "Favorite interests of people who like Financial Social Media.") This is a great way to learn more about your target audience.

Following these simple guidelines will help you build up your networks. Just remember: It's the quality—not just the quantity—of people in your audience that will make the difference in your prospecting efforts.

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Amy McIlwain is a professional speaker on social media and President of Financial Social Media, an online marketing firm specializing in the financial industry. She can be reached through her website www.financialsocialmedia.com and on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.