On our Facebook fan page poll the other week, we asked you folks what you’d like to learn more about, what your current challenges are in social media. We had a lot of people saying they wanted to learn how to get more Facebook fans, so we’ve collected a slew of articles here for you that either share stories of how a company got so many fans or give some concrete, proven directions when it comes to getting more people to click that “like” button.

It’s important to remember that getting more fans isn’t the point of social media. It’s a necessary part of it. You want the right fans, and you want to engage them in the right way. A large part of getting more fans is to have a solid, well-kept, helpful, interesting Facebook page. So never sacrifice quality of content for numbers. Everybody’s gotta start somewhere.

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Oh yeah, two notes. Firstly, there are a lot of people out there telling you that you can buy more Facebook fans from them. It’s ridiculous, and don’t do it. Unless of course you’re hiring on a professional, reputable company who is helping you build a social media strategy. Otherwise, stick to doing social media well. It’ll pay off.

Secondly, a couple of these first articles are old (the dinosaur ages of 2009 and 2010). This isn’t because we’re unhip–hey, we read Slate–but because the trouble of getting more fans has been around since pages were introduced. So some of the information is outdated, but know we chose these articles because they are still useful, and the tips are still relevant/still hold. And there you doubted us for a second.

How To Develop A Facebook Page That Attracts Millions. Now this article doesn’t actually tell you how to get a million fans (and for a small business, we’re not sure that’s what you’re aiming for). Aaaaand it’s also from 2009, but that shouldn’t deter you. Even if it is one of those articles telling you what a facebook fan page is, we checked through all 10 tips and all 10 tips still hold. Call it goin’ retro. It works.

21 Creative Ways To Increase Your Facebook Fan Base. Quick tips: use video, cross-post to other social media outlets, print (people still walk around in the real world from time to time).

How To Get Facebook Fans: The Easy Way and the Hard Way. This article focuses on Facebook advertising and why it’s a route worth taking. From January 2011.

9 Best Ways to Increase Facebook Fans. Some additional, more current ideas on some solid, proven methods of getting more fans.There’s some overlap, but call it reinforcement.

The Top 5 Ways to Stand Out On Facebook. This one is less directly focused on getting more fans, but talks about how to be a good brand on Facebook. You do that, and people will like you, link to you, and trust us, you’ll see the fan count rise.

image courtesy www.bulklikes.com

Howdy, everyone. We’ve rounded up some of the top stories in the social media world to help you stay up to speed with trends and developments that will enhance your online marketing strategy and experience. This week we have two articles about the social sphere (cause-based initiatives) and social media, so we might even call that a theme.

Be on the lookout every week for news, tips from pros, reviews, emerging technology, and a whole bundle of thought-provoking articles on this ever-developing, exciting world of social media.

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10 Beautiful Social Media Infographics. If you’re a visual learner, these are ten images you need to see. Mobile phone usage, social media comparisons, demographics information, and much more. These infographics really allow us to see just what’s going on with social media today. Eye candy for a social media nerd if we ever saw it.

How to Get the Social-Media Generation Behind Your Cause. Do you run an issues-based cause? Ninety-Six percent of 18-34 year olds are on Facebook. Here are ten tips for getting youth involved in your ideas and activities.

6 Challenges to managing your brand on the social web. We talk a lot about the opportunities in social media, naturally. But what are some challenges that you’re going to face? Mashable gives us the top concerns of six different social media experts and how to address them.

How the Gulf Coast Benefit Is Using Social Media To Rally Support. Social media can play a crux role in any marketing strategy, whether it’s helping your business or, in this case, entering the social work sphere. What can other social causes learn from the Gulf Coast social media strategy?

Flickr credit BrianSolis