First things first, by now you should have understood how critical it is for your business to have a social media presence. If you haven’t, please read this article of ours. If you run a business, in this day and age, you just cannot afford not being on social media. As you probably know, there are quite a few social media platforms out there. Of these, Facebook is the undoubted king of them all. Don’t take our word for it, check out the statistics . Facebook is the ultimate social media platform for most kinds of businesses to thrive. The marketing possibilities are endless. From super-targeted advertising to building an organic growth, the options Facebook features can be very exciting for new businesses. However, there’s one underrated feature. A place for organic growth through interaction that people most often ignore. I’m talking about Facebook groups. There are numerous purposes of these groups. In this post, we’ll take you through the many benefits of having one and being active in such Facebook groups.
Facebook Groups are gaining in popularity, and not just among users. Changes made this year to the great news feed algorithm have given priority to groups over pages, prompting brands to shift their strategy to include groups. Groups are hubs of engagement. More than 1.4 billion of Facebook’s 2.2 billion monthly active users check groups every month. But only 200 million users are in what Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg calls “meaningful groups.” In the near future Zuckerberg expects that number to rise to one billion.
Different types of Facebook groups:
There are three types of groups on Facebook: public, closed, and secret. Public groups are basically general admission. Everyone can find and view the group without needing approval to join. Closed groups are more exclusive. Like public groups, everyone can search for and view the name, description and member list of a closed group. But users can’t view the group’s content until they become a member. To join a closed group you have to be approved by an administrator or invited by a current member. Secret groups offer the same level of privacy as closed groups under a cloak of invisibility. No one can search for secret groups or request to join them. The only way to get in is to know someone who can invite you. Everything shared in a secret group is visible only to its members.
Facebook Pages vs. Groups: What’s the Difference?
Facebook pages are useful. Having a Page allows you to run ad campaigns for your business, get reviews, and have plenty of public updates that include blog posts, and more. It will show up in search engines, and provides valuable information like a map and contact information for your business. Users can also message you directly.
A group, on the other hand, puts more of a focus on community. When users post to a Page, it gets stashed away under the “Community” tab. When they post in the group, on the other hand, it pops up and stays in the feed, center-stage, for other users to easily see and engage with. Furthermore, groups naturally invite more frequent interaction and discussions, because that’s what they’re meant to do, and users feel more comfortable. This is especially true if you express the desire for users to ask questions or share insights in the group description.
Benefits of having a Facebook group for your business:
1) You’re creating a community
Most consumers don’t want to join the conversation on a post made by a business, but if it’s in a group setting, that barrier is removed. It gives you the opportunity to be more personal. You are the face behind the group, not a company name and logo. Consumers want to engage with a person, not a company.
2) Immediate feedback
Groups are a great source of immediate feedback, and if you build a niche group from the beginning, the feedback you receive will be extremely valuable. By creating a poll in your group, you can receive feedback on any subject matter or question you might have. This can provide beneficial for every business — from consumer brands to B2B businesses.
3) Making announcements
When you have a Facebook group for your business, you can share important announcements and get people talking about them. Here, as compared to pages, people would love to interact and get each other’s opinions and experiences and ideas regarding the same. So not only would you be making announcements, you’d also be seeing how those announcements are taken by the community and that feedback is always valuable
4) Sharing content
Facebook groups provide the platform for everyone including the owners to share all kinds of relevant material among the community. From pictured ads, blog posts, videos and general copy, everything you produce can be shared in the group to reach your customers who are in that group. In the group, it’s a community, so the shares won’t be seen as pitches, rather as updates that may or may not be useful to the community.
The benefits of being active members in existing groups
Your business can grow if you’re in the right Facebook groups and know how to use them. Since every Facebook group is meant for bunches of likeminded individuals, you can reach out to those who might have similar interests as your products or services without making it seem like your spamming. If you have a blog, you might find people who would be interested in reading your articles in such groups, and you can share links that drive traffic to your website. Besides that, you can find entire groups that make up a good portion of your target audience with whom you can share details of your offerings.
The benefits of having a Facebook group for your business and actively being part of useful groups outweighs the risks of you appearing as a spammer. It’s all about subtlety, and more importantly, the spirit of community. If you’re providing value, you’ll be accepted. But almost every Facebook group has a set of defined rules by the people who run them. Make sure you don’t break the rules. Make sure your voice is welcomed, and make sure you’re not wasting anyone’s time. Otherwise, you’ll be fine. Happy Facebooking.