How to Export Facebook Fans

Trying to Export a list of you Facebook Fans? Confused by all that java compiling and working around and the technical explanations you just don't know how to make work?

Here's how I created a list of Facebook Fans in CSV format for a client. This is a list of names only, as would be used for in store promotions for small brick and mortar businesses. I believe it may break the Facebook TOS, because bloody well everything does. You will need a web browser, Microsoft Word, Excel, and a little patience. This may look like a lot, but I've tried to spell it out very explicitly so that users who may not be so tech savvy can get the most from their small business Facebook page.

First, you must be an admin of the page. Go to your Insights. On the far right, under Export Data, you will see "See Likes." Open this.

Drag your cursor down the list, highlighting everything in the Likes panel (the names, the pictures, but stay inside the Likes panel)

When you get to the bottom of the list, there will be a "See More" if you have enough Likes. Stop here.

Copy, or Ctrl-C.

Open a word document, I'm using the latest version of Microsoft Word for Mac.

Paste, or Ctrl-V.

Look for the icon that at the bottom of your list that allows you to strip out the formatting, retaining only the text.

Now go back to your browser, click See More, and highlight the rest of your fans. Lather, rinse, repeat until you have a big text only list of names and "Make Admins" in your word doc.

Open the Find/Replace window. Find all "Make Admin"s and replace them with a Blank field.

Save this document as a .TXT file.

Open a new spreadsheet in Excel.

Click File.

Click Import.

Import Text.

You're looking to Import the TXT file you just created as a comma delineated file, with the columns broken out by the Spaces between user names. Finagle this through to the Finish option, choosing mostly the default options except where you tell it to use Spaces instead of Tabs or Commas.

If this has all gone well, you'll have a shiny new set of columns and rows populated by usernames.

From here, the only thing left to do is get the columns formatted correctly. You'll notice that people who engage Facebook with just their First and Last name take up 2 columns, while people who use a Middle name or initial take up 3. Highlight the Third column, and sort it Ascending. This will separate out all the users who have a middle name. Now take your curser down to where the two name folk are, and drag down to highlight the entire column of their last names. Right click to open a drop down menu, and click Insert, this will allow you to Shift Column Right, do so, and it'll be in line with the 3 name folk you already sorted. Now select the whole document, and sort again, Column C, Ascending, and you'll have an alphabetical list of you Facebook Fans.

Nothing to it!