I am sure that each of you is a member of different Facebook groups. I myself follow two trendy local groups on travelling and food. What is interesting, once just random people, now we know each other’s habits, favourite destinations, food preferences. We even do offline get-togethers.
Interestingly, the other day I met a couple that met under a post in one of the Facebook groups. And this is a definition of a success story when the group manages not just to bring Facebook users together but also to build a community of like-minded people.
According to Facebook’s definition, a group is a place to interact and communicate with certain people about issues of common interest.
Subsequently, you aren’t just building a community, but making a business tool if well played.
Around 1.8 billion people are using Facebook Groups. For a moment, think of the exposure you get! Do you realise the power of the community in your Facebook Group?
Creating a Facebook group like a pro
Well, enough of dreamy phrases, let’s get down to business!
You might be wondering, why would I create a relatively restricted Facebook group if I can just open a page?!
Facebook page is essential for your business. With this tool, you’ll be able to share information about your service or product, run campaigns, get feedback, etc.
But let me tell you that you can have both a Facebook group and a page. However, since 2019, Facebook has realised the decreasing importance of Facebook Pages, especially as no one would search for them.
It shifted the focus to groups! Thanks to Facebook algorithms, you get people interested in your content in the groups, and your reach will be much higher than pages.
Eventually, if you want to build a community, you should have a Facebook group. Here is all you have to do to create one!
Stepping into group creation
Social Media platforms are dying to trigger you to be more active, so all the processes are made very easy. Just for the purposes of this article, it took me less than a minute to create a group. Here is how it should go:
- Click on the “See More” tab on your Facebook News Feed (this step can be skipped if clicked on “Group”)
- Tap “Groups” then “+” sign to create one
- Type in the Group name (you can change it in future)
- Depending on your preferences, you can choose to make the group public or private
- If private, then choose between “hidden” or “visible” options
- Click on “Create”
A ProTip: Keep it public if you wish to go full-fledged with your group and use it for commercial purposes. In case your group unites VIP clients – then go for private options!
As you create the group, you will be asked to fill in the group description, choose the cover photo and invite members.
If your group does not consist of VIP clients, start by inviting your friends. These will help you to get initial feedback from the people you trust!
While placing a cover photo, remember that Facebook’s recommended size for group cover photos is 1,640px by 856px (or 1.91:1 ratio).
And now, let me take you to the most crucial part of every Facebook group, its purpose and the content!
Stuffing matters: Filling in your Facebook group
Can you imagine serving pineapple pizza to an Italian? Think about it for a moment. It will probably be heartbreaking, as Italians cannot even comprehend the logic behind Hawaiian pizza. That is why stuffing matters, including your Facebook group.
But let’s start stuffing one by one.
To get your group a relevant and loyal community, you should let people know what this is all about. Start by defining the type of your group! There are 6 group types. Check the table below for what fits you.
You can change the type whenever you want, but it is better to be definite about your purpose. Beware: when you switch from “General” to another group type, you might lose features like Q&As and chats.
Furthermore, add a description to your group. You can broaden your ideas as long as 3000 characters. To get a successful description, include the below points:
- Relevant keywords;
- Statement of the mission;
- What members will get from the group;
- A call to action;
- Rules and a disclaimer.
Remember to add your location and contact details, as well.
Getting engaged in your community
It is not that difficult to start the group. What is hard is to keep it active! Thus to make sure your group never sleeps, follow the below steps:
- Schedule your content, regularly open up relevant topics that would initiate engaging discussion;
- Also, encourage your members to share content! Don’t forget to switch on post approvals to filter negative and irrelevant ones;
- Among others, create polls and watch parties. It will help you learn the preferences of group members and enhance common topics;
- And last but not least, organise online and offline events.
Understanding your group
Did you know that only Facebook pages had analytics initially? However, now you can analyse and understand your group more profoundly thanks to Group Insights. This function is available for groups with 50+ members.
Group insights is an easy way to look into the multiple metrics, including but not limited to member activity and engagement. To see demographic information regarding your group community, increase your population above 250 people minimum!
Group insights will help you:
- Define the most active group member;
- Find out the posts with the highest engagement rate;
- Look into different types of members’ engagement inside the group;
- Identify the level of activity of group moderators and admins.
To see the group insights:
- Go to “Groups” from Facebook News Feed
- Scroll down until you get to the “Activity and Insights” option, then select a metric.
Moreover, you can turn your Facebook group into a beneficial marketing platform as Insights give detailed data about your lead community! Now, you can tailor all your content according to your members’ preferences.
A ProTip 2: If you wish to enhance your knowledge of the community management domain and get recognised, then the Facebook Certified Community Manager Program is just for you!
All in all, Facebook groups introduce a tremendous opportunity to build a community of shared interests. Look at this group as your micro-city, where you can train your management skills. So why not start one today?!
