How To Start (And Expand) The Facebook Group
Simple to access and easy to use It is a great option to gather people to discuss a topic or cause. How do you go about creating an engaging, dynamic and growing Facebook groups?
Actually, it's much more simple than it seems, and in the process you'll be able to create a real community that provides an actual benefit to the members.
Then let's explore the ins and outs of Facebook groups, including how to create them with the right techniques and tools to manage them and the content that is sure to attract your users to aid in helping your Facebook group grow.
What is the reason you would want to create an account on Facebook?
The Facebook Group is a great way of creating a community around a common issue, be it business interests, hobbies educational, or just networking.
The primary advantage of having a group is, it creates the environment for focused attention and discussion around a common topic.
In the process, an Facebook group will help to make your profile more attractive, as well as your business's profile, and the brand image.
Also, it provides your audience with a unique way to get to know you, as they feel like they are part of the circle of your friends.
In the interim the time between postings, groups provide the opportunity to engage in a quick manner. The group can be used to quickly share content including videos and posts and get instant feedback through polls, questions, discussion topicsand even themes.
The group also has a unique capability to use Facebook to move up the ranking of search results as users get notifications on them, interact within the group and visit. The engagement of members is crucial to Facebook's algorithm currently.
If you're in the business and want to use Facebook groups, they're an excellent way to showcase special offers like sales, discounts or special VIP offers specifically targeted to an engaged audience.
As the profile of the group expands, you can also add expertise that can be tailored specifically to the topic, or address any questions members might have. The reputation of the group lends its credibility and makes it an essential resource that assists its members.
If you're the leader of a group within the area you specialize in and you're the group's director will get to know your niche and your market more.
The steps to create your group
- Your topic should be defined.
Facebook is a fantastic place to come together to network on a common subject, but what exactly will this subject matter be?
It could be a part of a community cause or something to do in your work environment, for instance in a venue where your employees can interact.
It might be a VIP club for local businesses.
After you've decided on the topic, you need to record the pros and cons and the benefits your group is likely to provide.
This then assists with giving the name of the group that is in tune to what the people will be seeking.
- Name your group
The name you choose for your group is crucial. The right name will help your Facebook group grow organically.
Think about what potential customers are searching for. Do you intend to include your company's name or brand on the list, or maybe your own name to build your profile as an expert within your area?
When it comes to Naming, the main thing is to keep the name simple. Keep it concise, and think of keywords and look at it in terms of what people would search for to locate it.
- Define your purpose / goals / target audience
As you work through the steps of defining a topic and naming it, it's important to consider the values your organization will stand on and the things it's doing.
Who are your intended audience and what kind of information is beneficial to that segment?
Understanding your target market is similar to the process of identifying your ideal customer for your business. It's about figuring out who the person is likely to be, what they do as well as where they came from, as well as how old they're likely to be.
Knowing who your intended audience is will allow you to create the content you offer to them and increase the number of people who are part of that audience through discussions and information which are relevant to them.
When you are forming your group be sure to understand the purpose of your group. Is it there to support or educate, could it be a venue to discuss issues? It is likely to be a few of these things. Understanding the purpose of your group helps when making content and creating guidelines.
Also the meaning of HTML0 is what it stands for, what benefits will it bring and how will it be known as?
An excellent way to clarify the thought process is to establish the goals you wish your team to accomplish. These goals take a couple of shapes. There are goals that are somewhat like the vision statement which sets the overall tone for your group.
And then there are your individual goals the group may serve to you, such as:
- to build your brand
- For establishing your authority in a area
- to market offers and specials
- to assist your members
- Great guidelines make fantastic groups
If you're managing an entire community of members it is essential to establish guidelines. The rules for your Facebook group come from the premise of what the group is about and the benefits it can bring to the community.
These guidelines will be what makes a group, and it's about asking what do you want members to do in this group?
Guidelines to consider are:
- Whether or not uninvited personal messages are allowed
- Conduct that is not tolerated (such like swearing, violence, or swearing). When a discussion is going on, people could become emotional. It's essential to define what the group will or will not accept.
- The frequency at which users are allowed to share special offers or other promotions (once a group turns into an unwelcome spamming zone, members usually turn off).
- All topics which aren't addressed in your group (politics or religion for example)
These guidelines reflect the values of your organization, setting the tone for your community.
It is important to have your guidelines down before creating the group. Don't change them too regularly since you run the risk of alienating your participants.
- Create a Facebook page for your group (if you don't have one already)
If you're looking to promote your group, or it's related to your company, it's a great idea to create an account on Facebook that connects directly to the page.
Keep in mind, however that a Facebook page and a Facebook group are two distinct terms.
Where a page is a public profile which lets brands and companies showcase their offerings and initiatives, a group is a community-based feature that brings people of similar interests, to talk about topics and share their opinions.
Your Facebook page could later be utilized to promote your organization, encouraging people who view that page to join the discussion.
- Create your group
Making an HTML0 Facebook Group is fairly simple courtesy of Facebook's easy-to-use platform.
To create a group:
- go to facebook.com/groups/create/
- On the toolbar to the left include the group's name and select the privacy level and invite any initial people who are able to assist in management or are part of your group.
- Push the Create button. Now you have a group with a couple of details you need to fill in
- The page that you are on, upload an image of your group
- Complete the About section to show the work of your organization or can offer.
- Select the badge that says manage your group. In the toolbar on the left, you can start entering any qualifying questions you'd like to ask as well as group rules or parameters for members such as age restrictions.
- Qualifying questions
Facebook offers a wonderful feature that allows you to qualify people before they can enter the group.
The qualifying questions will allow you to ensure your members respect the community and are aware of the significance of HTML0.
The questions also act as a non-negotiable entry point because they must be completed prior to a new member can be admitted.
The questions could be related to the things a member is hoping to achieve from the group or possibly what business they run (to check if the community is of interest to them).
Alternatively, you could inquire about their interests or their most preferred area of interest is.
Then you can request that they read and follow the group guidelines. This is a way of having participants accept the rules and conditions and adhere to the expectations of behavior within the group.
Meanwhile, another excellent question to ask what they'd prefer to receive your newsletter.
Together these questions ensure your community is thoroughly vetted, and each member is qualified to be a part of the community.
- Private or public?
There are different types of groups, and one of the most common queries is what's the distinction between them and which is right to me?
- Public-facing - Groups that are public is accessible to all, and the members of the group can also be visible to the public. This might be the type of organization you create for sales and promotions.
- Private - Private groups allow people to find the group then apply for membership by answering qualifying questions or by requesting administrator authorization.
The private group is an ideal blend of the two - the group can be found online, however members of the group are carefully screened. Only members are able to view posts made in the group. Members can also view the other members that have joined the group.
Private groups are also hidden, so they cannot be located by searching. A hidden private group might be something you use to help a cause or event.
- Posting within your group
While you're establishing the group you want to join, you may be thinking about the rules around posting. Is it open-posting or an admin-approved post?
Open post allows users to post whatever they wish (hopefully within the guidelines that were mentioned previously).
The advantage of posting openly is that it allows engagement to happen instantly and no time is wasted to people asking a question or posting on a topic.
This does however it means that administrators may have to check in frequently to make sure everybody is acting as they ought to and complying with the rules.
admin-approved posts implies that any post has to first be cleared by the administrator of the group.
It is a benefit that all posts are moderated. On the other side, it slows communications within the group, and could create extra administrative burdens for administrators.
The final decision of whether to use an open or admin-approved post is a matter of personal preference for how you wish your group to operate.
The launch of your group
After you've set up your own group, you'll be seeking to find members, and maybe create a little buzz around your new offering.
This is where Facebook's page as well as other channels come into play.
- Email to your current audience
The best way to begin educating people about the launch of your group is to use existing channels, which might comprise:
- posting on Facebook birthday and inviting friends to join
- The sending of an email blast to contacts from your CRM
- Creating a link on your website and announcing it in a blog post
- The first content you can add to your group
It isn't ideal for new members to hit the page blank when they enter your organization, therefore you should think about creating some initial content prior to introducing the group's existence to the public.
The initial content could include the pinned posts of guidelines for the group, but could be extended to include a welcoming message, an outline of what the group is planning to do as well as an opportunity to encourage participation.
Engagement is the most important thing to remember when it comes to Facebook groups. It's all about members engaging with one another and receiving value. Therefore, consider the first questions you'd like to inquire about shortly following your initial launch to engage your members.
Concepts to start the initial engagement include:
- What do you hope to gain from this group?
- What's your biggest problem (related to the topic of discussion) currently?
- What's the biggest query you'd like to be addressed?
- or even the simplest things like how has your day been, or your biggest win this week?
Pro tip - In order to start conversations rather than sending an email on a blog's post, asking your visitors to leave a comment on the post itself, ask for them to talk about it with the rest of the group. Offer them specific discussion points, or if it's a big issue, set an time to have a group discussion.
Promoting the Group
After you've established your group's name and alerted people in your current group, you need to concentrate on growing by highlighting what it is your group is doing and the value it offers.
There are various methods of promoting your organization and let's explore a few...
Targeted Facebook ads
It is possible to harness the power of your Facebook page's capabilities to design specific ads which are more likely to bring like-minded persons who are interested in joining your Facebook group. members.
This is a great opportunity to make use of Facebook's potential to extend your reach beyond the people you already know and the places you are currently visiting.
Cross-promote HTML0 with other groups
Most large social networks permit you to post the information of a group that may be relevant to their members within their page.
If you are invited or, if it is appropriate you are invited to, or if appropriate, cross-promote your organization within other groups.
Group members with influencers
Influencers can boost the credibility of an organization. Additionally, they could bring an enormous audience. If it's appropriate, think about hiring an influencer whose values align with your organization's principles.
Group members are asked to contribute
As your group grows, it's an indication that members who are already members appreciate your content and find value in the content you provide.
It is possible to tap into this trend by inviting members to share the with their network or invite others to join.
Don't forget to tell people
When you're out networking in person, be sure to inform people that you manage a Facebook group, if it might be relevant to their interests. It's also possible to include your specifics on your business cards or make sure it's linked to from your website.
Building engagement in your group
Engagement is what adds value to your group as well as the energy it needs to grow. The role of the creator of the group is to facilitate this engagement through engaging content and conversation starters that keep people coming back for more.
How do you build that engagement?
In order to create an atmosphere of engagement You must engage
If you're an administrator or group leader seeking to increase engagement you must be active regularly, be it visiting, starting discussions, or answering a query and/or comment, or even pointing your group members to the source of the knowledge they seek.
Here are some of the ideas and tools to use
Theme days
Theme days encourage people to stay engaged with each other on a regular on a regular. They are a proven way to increase participation and also creating the structure and the tone of the group.
Consider theme days like "Hot Offer Wednesday" where participants post their deals, as well as "Find The Answer Friday" where people pose and answer questions within a group.
Request feedback
Close relevant posts with an active request for comments such as "what is your opinion?", "have you experienced something similar?", or " what three things would you take in the same situation?" etc.
Clever questions
What was your day like? What did you think of XYZ? How do you feel about XYZ? What was your 'yay' highlight of the past week?
Download an extensive guide to ideas for conversation starters as well as clever questions here .
Polls
Polls are super simple to create and offer an easy way of fostering engagement. You can simply poll your audience regarding something they are interested in for example, some recent announcements of news related to them, or a more generic issue like asking them select their favourite tool for doing XYZ.
You can even poll your group members on an expert they'd like to speak with or an issue they would like to see discussed in greater depth.
A bonus feature of polls is that it can often guide you to the source to other information that your people in the group may be interested in.
Facebook Lives
Facebook Lives posted by you the administrator, or even as an invited guest, provide an engaging and visual type of material that can be adapted to the latest issues, new initiatives, launches of products and a whole lot more.
In the case of the government, for instance, they might announce something important to your group , or to their business. Then, you're able to join your group and go on a live that explains what the announcement actually means for your group.
You can also livestream on topics that you've planned ahead of time and invite the group to tune in when it's convenient for them.
Invited guests
If you're looking to add value to your organization, inviting guests can be an excellent method to accomplish this. Set a theme, invite in an expert , and then allow your group to ask them questions.
This invited guest could also begin the time they spend in your group with an Facebook Live which members can follow up with questions or comments on.
Invite questions from your members
When you encourage your members to inquire, it's the native content which encourages discussion. Also, it taps into the value of the community as a platform for sharing knowledge, experience information, and resources.
How-to videos
How-to videos are a excellent way to help your clients in promoting involvement by asking them questions about their top topics they would like to find out about.
You can also make instructional videos about innovative products, services or processes that might be appropriate to the particular niche for the group.
Memes
No matter if they're inspiring or funny the memes are extremely well-known pieces of content that frequently generate engagement in the form of likes and discussions.
They're also super easy to source or create using great tools like theCanva .
GIFs
Like memes, GIFs can be a easy way to generate interest quickly, particularly if they have a touch of humour to them. If you're searching for GIFs such as Giphy, then resources like Giphy will help.
In essence, the possibilities of creating content that is engaging are really only limited by your imagination, but should you need further ideas on content for you Facebook Group, you can download the PDF below .
Tying it together and following steps
Facebook groups can be an extremely efficient method of creating a community around a common cause while raising your profile and showcasing your expertise.
Groups can also be utilized for networking, education promotion, education, and much more.
However, they do take work. After you have created your group, you'll need to promote the organization and oversee it, ensuring that group has the reputation you want it to be known for, and doesn't stray off from the path.
There may also be times when you need to slow the expansion of the group and that's OK also. It's essential to efficiently managing your group instead of just adding members on the fly.
What is the reality? certain of the top-performing organizations will sometimes notice that they do not accept on new members in certain periods of time.
It doesn't only give a feeling of exclusivity, it also allows the group's administrators to ensure the current group operates exactly as it should, and to ensure that it remains an organization that adheres to its guidelines and purpose, while offering an actual benefit to its members.
And that's the important element of any organization It should provide benefit and feel of belonging for the members.
In the end, your group could succeed to the point that it can become an asset which can be made monetizable. In the meantime, here are some final suggestions and steps you can take once your group has been formed.
Final Tips
- Establish your rules early and stick to the rules These guidelines will be the glue that holds your team togetherand sets the standard for how it will work and how it will feel.
- Be involved, encouraging and positive - Commit to give your participants an hour of your time each and each day.
- Invite your friends to talk about their successes - It can be lonely in times, so sharing wins of any size is important. Foster that frequently as you are able.
- Encourage your group members to make a report on posts that which they think aren't in accordance with rules of your group It is a great way to save hours of searching through every single article, as well as allowing participants feel they are truly part of the larger community.
- There aren't many people who will be a fan of your group . That's OK It's all about being part of a community and finding people who will fit.
- Make things happen to benefit your community Get involved with them, and then get meet them through events, challenges, etc. for their group.
- Join the group and share it with others - Like everything else, people need to be aware of you in order in order to locate you. Therefore, be sure to share your Facebook groups with others!
It is possible to learn more about how to create Facebook Groups and even monetizing them by taking Linda Reed-Enever's Creating Communities with Facebook Groups course.