WHY YOU SHOULD START A FACEBOOK GROUP FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Social media is an effective way to market your business. And, Facebook is the most popular social media platform. As of June 30, 2018 Facebook reported that they have 2.23 billion monthly active users. And, Facebook users are accessing Facebook several times a day. According to comScore, Facebook is accessed at an average of eight times per day per user. And, usage is growing. In fact, according to Sprout Social, 400 new users sign up for Facebook EVERY MINUTE. As a business owner,
There is no doubt that a business should have a Facebook page. However, getting noticed on Facebook can be challenging. Facebook has ever-changing algorithms which affect which posts get viewed. Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, announced that the Facebook algorithm will prioritize “meaningful interactions” from friends and family over content from businesses. Because of this it has become more challenging to ensure your business’ content gets noticed. Check out Zuckerberg’s statement here.
Currently, Facebook rewards engagement. Along with having a Facebook page and doing periodic ads on Facebook, businesses should also engage customers by creating Groups. When asked “What type of Page posts create meaningful interactions?” Facebook mentioned “In Groups, people often interact around public content. Local businesses connect with their communities by posting relevant updates and creating events.”
These are the reasons why you should start a Facebook Group for your business:
1. CREATE MORE PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT.
The most rewarding part about building a group is that you can engage with your customers on a new, more personal level. You can get much more personal and direct with them while you develop and build your community or group. Remember that people like to do business with people. A Facebook group will help customers get to know you which will help build your business.
2. GET MORE ATTENTION FROM YOUR AUDIENCE.
One of the biggest benefits of having a Group is that your audience will get Notifications when you post content. This is HUGE. Your regular posts have to basically fight for attention with other posts in the regular Facebook feed. However, the members of your Group will get notifications when you post anything within the group.
3. DEVELOP A COMMUNITY AROUND YOUR BRAND.
A sense of community or belonging is crucial for a small business. Customers in your Facebook Group will feel like part of a special community and it will make it more likely that they will want to do business with you. The Group will also help member see others enjoying your products or services which will help promote the value you provide.
4. GET VALUABLE FEEDBACK.
Hosting a Facebook Group will help you get invaluable feedback about products or services. For example, if you’re not sure if you want to add a new product or service to your business, you can ask for opinions in your Group. People love being helpful and also love feeling included. If, because of the Group’s feedback, you decided to add a new product, the Group members will probably be more likely to purchase the product because they were part of the process. And, if the members of the group like the product, there’s an excellent chance that your entire customer base will like it as well.
5. PROVIDE VALUE.
If you provide information to your Group that you’re not providing to everyone else, you will provide a lot of value to your Group members. It can be as simple as a sneak peek at new products or allowing them the first chance to check out new products, your Group members will value that. Customers love this aspect of Facebook Groups which makes sense. Who doesn’t love to be the first to know something?
6. DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR OTHER MARKETING CHANNELS.
Just like any other marketing effort, one goal of marketing is to get more traffic to your website, other social media platforms, email list, app or other marketing channels. You can promote those other channels in your Facebook Group. One way to do that is to post content from those other channels on your Facebook Group with a link to that channel. The more ways you can reach a customer, the better so it is beneficial to promote all of your marketing channels on your Facebook Group. And, don’t forget to promote your Facebook Group on those other channels so you can get more people in your Group. For example, if you send out periodical emails, you can mention and link your Facebook Group.
7. PROVE YOUR EXPERTISE.
Another beneficial aspect of Facebook Groups is that it is another method to show your expertise about a topic related to our business. You can post pictures and videos and really respond to feedback and questions in a very personal way that encourages engagement, builds trust, and displays your expertise.
Building a community using Facebook Groups is a very valuable way to get viewed as well as create raving fans and business advocates. With it becoming increasingly difficult to get your content noticed in the regular Facebook news feed, Facebook Groups are an important component to add to your social marketing strategy.
Here are tips to help you start your Facebook Group:
First, you need a Facebook Business Page.
This is often called a Fan Page. Make sure it is complete and optimized for engagement. (Read more here: 7 THINGS THAT WILL INCREASE ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE)
Determine what the focus of your group is going to be.
Unless your business is very specialized, you probably could have different groups for different aspects of your business. For example, a fabric store may have different groups that each focus on a different aspect of fabric, such as Quilting, Home Decor and Clothing. A gym could have different groups for nutrition, classes, and weightlifting. Don’t be too broad when you develop your Group.
Next, select the privacy level of your group.
The choices are Public, Closed or Secret. Here’s a chart from Facebook that explains the differences:
Most often you’ll probably want a Closed Group. Anyone on Facebook will be able to find your Closed Group, but only members will be able to see the content posted and see who the other members are. This level of privacy makes members feel special and feel safe to share ideas and comments.
Establish Group Rules.
For example, you may not want anyone to solicit other members, post information that competes with your business or to be unkind to each other. To get ideas, go to other Groups and check out their group rules.
Prepare a graphic for your Group cover photo.
Currently, the recommended size is 1640 pixels x 859 pixels. Create this on whatever graphics program you prefer. For online graphics creation options, check out Canva or Fotor.
Now, you are ready to actually set up your group.
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On your Facebook Business Page, go to Create Group.
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Select a Name for your Group.
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Select the privacy level.
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Add a cover photo.
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Add a group description.
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Add some tags. (keywords that help your Group show up in searches)
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Invite people.
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Start posting.
While this article covers the main reasons why you should start a Facebook Group for your Business as well as a brief description of how to start a Facebook group, the most important thing is to add content regularly. In other words, the key to hosting a Facebook Group is to be social . . . engage, ask questions, reply. The more active and engaged your audience is, the more beneficial the Group will be for your business.
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Sondra Kirtley, MBA, is an entrepreneur who owns and operates a retail and service business in Eureka, California. Known for her helpful nature and small business expertise, Sondra founded SmallBizpathway.com to share tips and experiences with other small business owners.
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