@amyhallbiz asked me a question in a different thread and I would be interested in learning from the group.

How do you go about growing your audience organically?

when   facebook   came  around   i was   mentored  to   do  google+ and  work  harder on  my   blog, but i  rejected  that  and    chose  facebook and   it has  been the  best  exposure for us ive ever  had…i chose  facebook  because  my  customers  were already there….my  blog  had  been  slow  and  the  few  connections  were  mostly  far away and  not  bringing in  much if any  actual  business….and no one  in the real world  has ever mentioned  google +  in my  presence….

then i looked  at  my  target  customers…women homeowners   within   200 miles…and  they are  on  facebook  big time!!!.so it  was a pretty  easy  choice…

..we had  raving  fans  first  too, our store customers… ….and just  built  our  facebook into   what  we  think they like….what they like about the store  answered  the  content  question for us….,  ….we used our  in store talk to  build it up, and   started out with personal friends   from   3 of our pages;  me  my  daughter and  dil….. and  we   put  the  FB INFO ON ALL OUr reciepts and  every piece of paper that went out of the store…. we   already had an email database  and used that..we put it   on our  blogs and  web…… i was  on  2 or 3 forums within  my  industry….where other customers m ight  be and posted there   always with my  web  or  facebook  in  my signature…our  fans  kind of  took it  from there…we are  growing  every  week…

i took one  course,  not   too good….but i   learned a loto from  grandma  mary’s  facebook…. its  written   fairly  close to my  level….which im sure is hard  for   tekk people…  

i want  our page to  be  entertaining,  interesting and   tempting…..

@richardmclaughlin How do you grow fans organically?
@annfurnivall  Excellent info and almost a check list for what to do to build a fanbase!

@andrea-vahl – I’m good at quicker and I know that the result is not long term for the client 

@richardmclaughlin ha ha…its on my  orohan ideas list!!!  i could  sell it on  my  blog…and  website

Organic does take time, but it is worth it in the long run because they are customers that are actually interested in your product or service. I love this:

If you can build a relationship > make it interesting > make it beneficial, the word will go around! – It is perfect!  Great @Jonathanlass
@annfurnivall also has great points that it’s an overall approach. Great job including facebook on your receipts.  We even recommend that our brick and mortar stores put a sticker at the register and/or on the door letting everyone know that they are on facebook and to follow them.

Smart advice here. I am always looking for an opportunity to have an exchange with anyone who shows up on my social media presence. Letting people see that there is a real person behind your business is often surprising to people! If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, too.

There are ways to game the system. But for me, having people who really know about my business and really care about what I’m doing is where it’s at. 

I know that people care about my business because I am helping them improve their business! I make it my goal to help everyone I encounter, no matter how small their question.