Should I create a Facebook Group?

If your business is on Facebook, you may have heard of Facebook Groups. Lately, Facebook Groups have become popular among companies/organizations because they allow businesses to have organic interactions with target audiences. If you want to learn more about Facebook Groups, if you should create a Facebook Group for your business, and how they could potentially grow your business, keep reading!

Facebook Group vs. Page?

What’s the difference between a Facebook Group and a Facebook Page? A Facebook Page is simply a company/organization’s public profile on the platform, where all content is controlled by the company/organization’s admins. A Facebook Group is a community-based feature that allows members to have interest-based conversations with one another. In other words, unlike a Page, your business cannot control every piece of content that is shared with Group members.

Posts in Groups reach a significantly higher proportion of the Group’s members than posts on a Page reach users who like the Page. In other words, engagement is wider and more authentic in Groups – this is why businesses are beginning to consider them.

We recommend every business to create a Facebook Page. While creating posts and responding to comments/messages on a Page takes time, it is otherwise a simple endeavor. Customers can find you on the platform (and on Google) with a Page and see that you are an active, thriving brand.

Should I also create a Facebook Group?

Well, the answer to this question really boils down to a couple questions:

1) Would my business benefit from interacting with existing customers and target audiences over social media? For most B2C and many B2B companies, the answer to this question is “yes.”

2) Does my business have the human resources to maintain the Facebook Group? Unlike Pages, Groups require a lot of time to maintain. More information on the maintenance of Groups can be found below.

If you answered “yes” to both of these questions, then we strongly recommend that you consider creating a Facebook Group.

How do I create a Facebook Group?

To create a Group on behalf of your business, you first need a Facebook Page. Therefore, if your business does not already have a Facebook Page, the first step is to create one. Once your Page is created, it is best-practice to create your Group through your business’s Facebook Page, which can be completed through the admin interface.

You need to decide the general theme and topic of your Group. Remember, members will not join your Group unless there is an interest-based reason to do so. For example, a real estate agent in Milwaukee may create a Group about neighborhoods or attractions in Wisconsin. That way, Wisconsinites are likely to join the Group because they want to learn the news in their communities, not to hear about listings or real estate matters.

Let’s review another example. Say you are a restaurateur in Charleston, South Carolina who owns some Southern restaurants. Your group could be about i) Southern food or ii) Charleston attractions. Users interested in these topics will join the Group to learn about culinary or travel topics, not to receive information about the restaurateur’s specific establishments.

How do I grow the Group?

There are many methods to grow Facebook groups. Organically, it is important to focus on high-performing posts, tag top members, and generally try to increase engagement. If these tasks are completed, Facebook will encourage users to join the group. Additionally, right after the Groups are created, it is also strongly recommended to invite existing customers via email and/or invite personal friends to join the group.

You can also grow your Facebook Groups with paid ads. There is no ad campaign type in Facebook that allows you to grow Groups directly. Instead, you can run Facebook Page Like campaigns, and then invite those who liked your Page to also join your Group(s). Running Facebook Like campaigns alone is generally discouraged due to the low engagement rates of Pages, but if the goal is to ultimately increase Group members, then this is a solid strategy. If you choose to run Facebook Page Like campaigns, you need to have a manicured page.

Once your Group grows, your business (the admin) can occasionally advertise your goods/services to the members. It is extremely important that you do not exclusively share content related to your business; members are there because of personal interests, not to constantly read about your latest sale.

How do I maintain the Group?

Facebook Groups require daily maintenance to be successful. Your business must approve/disapprove posts from members, accept/decline member requests (if the group is Private), respond to comments, upload Group rules, and moderate existing posts. In addition to maintaining groups, you must also post engaging and thought-provoking content to encourage member interaction.

On a side note, Facebook Groups can be either Public or Private. If it is Private, you must accept each member individually after he/she submits a request to join. If it is public, anyone can join the Group. Facebook Groups can change from Public to Private, but they cannot change from Private to Public. We recommend keeping the Facebook Groups Public until they grow to a decent size, and then switching them to Private to appear exclusive.

Can someone help me create, grow, and manage a Group?

Two Step Social can help your brand create highly-customized social media content. Facebook Groups can be an extremely lucrative way to generate organic leads and customers for your business. Send us a message today for a free consultation!