Facebook Groups are becoming the norm in today’s social media and entrepreneurial world. Seriously, I don’t know anyone who isn’t in a Facebook Group or even an admin of a Group. (My Grandfather is in several.)
But, why is this the popularity right now? And how do you create a grow a Facebook Group yourself? Well, I will be covering each of these areas today.
A bit of my background and experience…
Today I am the admin of 13 Groups! Yep, 13!!!
But I’m active in about 5 of those; meaning, I purposely want to grow them and build up engagement. The others are seasonal or smaller groups and committees that I’ve started in my local neighborhoods and city.
My two main ones include my Making Lemonade Club group. This is where mom entrepreneurs can come and get help, support, and expert training on an array of topics. I bring in experts from different areas and niches to come in and do a Q&A with me and my community. I started growing this group in January and it’s almost at 1,000 members in just three short months. Woohoo!
And the other group is for my LipSense business. I have almost 600 members in that group (started in March).
I do a number of events, contests, giveaways, FB Lives, and funny posts to drive up engagement and sell my products in a super fun way. I love it!
Okay, so now you know this is kind of my thing!
Why Is It Popular Right Now?
I think it’s all about the tribe. People networking and connecting with one another. Groups have higher engagement than Pages so it makes sense that Groups have grown in popularity.
When was the last time you went to someone’s Page to engage with them? It’s more likely that you joined a Group for a similar topic or niche or interest and engage with people there. Depending on how active you are in the Group, Facebook will send you notifications.
Pretty cool, huh?
I like the sense of collaboration and getting to know like-minded people. I’ve met most of my business besties in different Facebook Groups.
Groups are also a great source to advertise. For example, my LipSense Group allows me to connect with potential buyers and get to know them. Building this relationship takes time and commitment.
The end goal is to help them find the color that fits with their skin tone and personality. Obviously, this Group is there to push products or to encourage those who are interested in joining my team.
However, I refuse to be pushy or “salesy”. I want to build a relationship and that takes time.
Groups are like having an email list ready to go with less effort. It’s a means for you to push your products or services and draw up engagement.
Okay, now let’s chat about the ‘How’…
For starters, it’s easy to create a Group but it’s not easy to build it. You have to make sure that you are dedicated to your Group and understand the time commitment.
Schedulers definitely come in hand and I HIGHLY recommend using SmarterQueue (btw, if you use my link you’ll get a 30 day trial versus a 14-day trial). I’ve used PostPlanner and Buffer and have done trials for a variety of different schedulers but my new obsession has become SmarterQueue. Their user interface is super easy to use and setup and they are more cost effective than other similar schedulers on the market.
When I schedule out the posts each week, I do a variety of engagement posts and have SmarterQueue recycle them throughout the month. Plus I tie in affiliate posts, blog posts, and opt-in posts. SmarterQueue just recycles everything for me.
Having a good scheduler will save you time and stress.
TIP: Make sure that you schedule posts for whenever you are available to respond to comments. This will help boost engagement.
Also look at when your people are interacting the most. Look at day of the week, time of the day, and the type of post they are responding to the most. Facebook Groups has an awesome little insight section now. I use this to reward those more engaged users by giving them shout outs in my groups.
This also helps boost engagement when there is a reward system with it.
Do Facebook Lives in your Group. This is a great way to build your brand, engage with your followers, and build a loyal following. A lot of people are stressed on what to do during their Facebook Live. Don’t worry, it’s going to suck for the first couple of tries until you get your rhythm and your confidence.
Facebook Live recommendations:
- Talk about something that is going to benefit them, their family, or their business
- Have a list of points you want to make during a Live. I just like giving myself little notes but I don’t recommend having it scripted. You want it to feel natural and like you’re talking with a friend.
- Don’t be afraid to share something personal. People love building a personal connection with you. This will also help build a loyal following that’s eager to buy from you.
- Stick to a set schedule. Ask your audience what day/time works best for the majority. Take a poll in the group and giving them two to three times that work for your schedule. Then, keep it consistent. I do a “Workout Wednesday” in my group where I talk about a specific topic focusing on their business or motherhood.
- Length should be between 5-15 minutes for a typical “just sharing some tips” Facebook Live. If you’re doing an in-depth live with a Q&A, goes as long as people are online getting something out of it.
Honestly, you’re just going to have to take that leap and force yourself into a routine before it’ll become comfortable. But as you start meeting with others in your community and hearing from them that the group has helped them, it’s completely worth it.
XO,
Becky
